Home
by shinachiku-uzumaki
Summary: Shinachiku finds himself in a strange place with little to no explanation. Everyone he knows is there, but why are they acting so strangely? Why do they seem so different? And where is his home? NaruSaku, Shinachiku
1. Chapter 1

This is a pilot chapter, meaning I'm not sure if it will continue if no one is interested

* * *

He regretted heading into the forest by himself. He usually came with his mom and his dad, but his mom was much too tired to go with him and his dad absolutely had to go to work with none of his usual excuses to stay home. He couldn't blame them for not being able to come.

His dad constantly took breaks from work, or snuck out to check up on him, or even took him to work with him. But as his mom said, his work would eventually catch up with him and he wouldn't be able to have any breaks. His dad worked non stop for days, just to make sure he could be at home with him and his mother as much as possible nowadays.

His mom had become so round, moving proved difficult for her now a days. She groaned and sighed every time she got up from a seat or had to walk across the room. His mother insisted it wouldn't be like that for much longer, and soon he'd have a little sister.

It wasn't the first time he ventured into the forest by himself. He snuck into the wooded areas a few times over the last few weeks when his parents couldn't come with him. They always got worried and upset when he left on his own, but they seemed less angry when he brought them gifts. One time he brought them flowers from deep within the forest. Not even his Aunt Ino had them in her shop. Another time he brought home a little slug. His mom helped him make the slug a box he wanted to keep as a pet. He even brought home a baby toad one, but his dad made him set that one free.

He wanted to find something else in the forest to impress them again. Or even a present for his new little sister...

Now here he was… wherever 'here' was. He lost track of where he came from or where he had already been. Everything looked the same, from the green grass, to the green bushes, to the brown tree trunks, and the small glimpses of sky through the canopy. He did his best to avoid the darker parts of the forest, but somehow, he found himself engulfed in it.

Shinachiku took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully. His mother always told him to keep a calm head and you can figure almost anything out… but... He was lost. He wanted to be tough and pretend to be brave, but his trembling hands and darting eyes gave him away.

A branch snapped nearby. It startled him beyond measure. He ran without thinking, unaware of his surroundings as he ran further and further into the dark forest. He continued to run, but the rustling followed still. It might be a bear, or a wolf, or a multitude of other things that wanted to gobble him up.

Shinachiku came to a screeching halt when found himself at a cliff. He looked down in horror. A view at such a height would normally excite him, but he could have fallen off. He turned back, planning to find another escape, but the leaves and the bushes rustled. Whatever chased him this far still hadn't given up.

"S-stay away!" Shinachiku waved his arms and yelled. A friend told him it would scare away creatures from the forest. Either he hadn't done it correctly, or the creature wasn't scared of him at all. A dark figure emerged from the darkness, but the darkness obscured his view.

Shinachiku took a frightful step backwards, and before he knew it, his world tilted upside down. He fell, he realized. Rocks and dirt hit him as he fell toward the earth. He saw a glimpse of the dark figure standing at the now far away cliff, watching him fall from above.

The world turned black.

* * *

Shinachiku groaned and rubbed his eyes. It had become so bright and light. He slowly opened his eyes to the pristine white ceiling. The ceiling was familiar to him… but not HIS ceiling. The ceiling lacked his glow in the dark stars and stickers. His father's 'accidental' spitball vanished. He sat up in confusion.

This was the hospital, the hospital his mother worked in. He started to wonder why, but noticed bandages on his arms and legs. He reached up to scratch a particularly itchy part of his forehead, realizing that a bandage had been placed there too.

"What happened?" He asked himself, sliding out of the cot. He approached a nearby window, attempting to see out of it, but he was too short, at least he knew it was daytime. Shinachiku approached the door and opened it with ease. He'd been inside of a hospital room before.

As he stepped out of the room, a nurse tripped over him. He yelped and pressed his back against the wall as the nurse stumbled, but kept rushing to her destination.

 _'Don't play around or wander in the hospital. Everyone is busy and accidents are bound to happen if you don't watch where you are going'_ , his mother once told him.

He glided through the hospital with ease. He went to work with his mother all the time, he knew the place well. He wanted to check and see if she returned to her office, but he knew she'd be at home. Maybe she cut him an apple or peeled an orange, lunch time had to be coming.

He nearly fell onto his bottom when he walked into a pair of legs blocking his way. A different nurse focused her attention on him.

"Where do you belong little one? Where are you going?" Shinachiku blinked.

"I'm going home now. My mom works here, but not today." He explained. The nurse eyed him critically before she seemed to recognize something. A little confusion seeped into her expression.

"Who is your mother?" The nurse asked. She couldn't let a small boy with clear injuries just leave the hospital on a whim.

Shinachiku blinked again. Almost all the nurses knew his mother. Was she teasing him? They liked to tease him. Could she be new? He swore he'd seen her before... Just as he started to answer, the intercom binged. They called for her, what perfect timing. She turned to the boy again; he looked shockingly like Sakura she had to admit. The eyes were unmistakable, but...

"Listen, stay right here, alright? I will be right back." She gently patted the boy's head when he nodded in agreement. He seemed like the type to listen to authority. Or at least, she hoped he did.

Shinachiku obediently sat in a seat nearby and waited.

And waited.

And waited a bit longer.

He couldn't stand waiting any longer. Besides, his mother worked here, he'd just come back later. He'd have to apologize, but again, it he would definitely do it later. He hopped up from his seat and made his way to the exit.

Shinachiku stepped outside of the hospital, shielding his eyes from the brightness of the sun. A breeze flew by him, a nice gift on such a warm day. Everything looked very much the same… yet something felt off. He shrugged off the strange feeling and headed home. He ran into a major problem very quickly. He recognized some of the buildings… but others he did not. He walked down some roads before, but others seemed to have appeared and disappeared in a day. Before he knew it, a maze of familiar and unfamiliar locations trapped him.

He chewed on his fingers. His mom always scolded him for doing it, but he couldn't help himself. He remembered his mother's lesson about being calm and patient… much easier said than done. Shinachiku continued walking. He must have walked in many circles by now. His feet hurt. The sun beat down on him. He debated asking a local stall for a drink, but he didn't want to just take free drinks, he didn't have change.

Once again, Shinachiku found himself on the main street. It was crowded despite the heat of the sun. He sighed and peered into the sky. He lowered his view to the mountain. The Hokage mountain, couldn't miss it. All the previous Hokage's were on the mountain. They all looked so serious and strong.

 _'They're all pushovers. Except the second Hokage. Trust me'ttebayo,'_ his dad told him. Shinachiku believed him. His dad never looked as serious as it did on the mountain.

Except, his dad's face wasn't on the mountain.

The end of the mountain was blank.

Shinachiku fell back in shock. Once, his mother had threatened his dad she'd erase his face off the mountain, but she didn't ACTUALLY do that... did she? What did his father do to make his face disappear? Maybe… it had something to do with how different everything seemed to be.

"Whoa!" Shinachiku cringed when a clumsy foot landed inches away from his hand. "Hey kid, you can't just sit in the middle of the street'ttebayo."

"Or, you need to watch where you're going." A lazy voice responded.

Shinachiku gazed up again and met his father's eyes. For a moment, relief washed over him. Even if his mother erased his face from the mountain, at least he was right here… Shinachiku's eyes focused on his hair. He saw his father with hair like that in a few pictures at home, but they were old. His clothes. He'd never seen his fathers in those clothes, but his jacket characteristically orange. Most noticeably… his father didn't seem as old as he used to be.

"Is he alright? He has bandages all over him..."

Shinachiku turned. His father's friend Shikamaru stood not to far away. Shinachiku rarely saw any expression on the man's face other than boredom, but now he seemed a little concerned.

"Hey." His father's voice caught his attention again. His father seemed concerned as well but…. "Are you alright? Can you stand up?"

"He looks freaked out." Shikamaru suggested, but he kept his distance.

His father huffed and reached out to grab him. Normally, Shinachiku would be eager to be lifted by his father and pulled into a tight hug. Right now he wanted nothing but to get away. He moved to his feet quickly, just out of his reach. The man frowned. When Shinachiku swayed on his feet, the man tried to grab him again, but now Shinachiku ran.

"Hey! Wait a sec!" The man tried to chase after him, but the crowded street held him back. Shinachiku slipped between the mass of people until the man was out of sight. Shinachiku collapsed to his knees in relief. He wiped the sweat from his partially bandaged forehead and tried to regain his breath. He wanted to go home now more than ever… to get away from this strange place… and the only way to find it was to keep searching.

* * *

"Strange." Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his head. He didn't recognize the kid, and the kid didn't recognize them either. Not particularly strange. "Hey Naruto, let's go." He walked forward, but stopped when Naruto didn't follow.

Naruto stood atop a building, watching over the crowd hoping to catch a glimpse of the kid with no luck. He didn't know the kid's identity, but he seemed pretty confused. He wondered why the kid was on the floor, but the bandages hinted at some kind of injury.

"Naruto!"

Shikamaru called for him from below again. Shikamaru wanted to discuss important topics with the promise that they would have it while he had a few steaming bowls of ramen. Focusing on his delicious ramen would be a bit more difficulty knowing with an injured kid running around.

And not just any injured kid…

It was silly, but Naruto mistook him for Sakura for just a split moment. He had Sakura's eyes, he'd never seen anyone with them other than her mother. Even the boy's face resembled hers. The most logical explanation lead to him being a member of her clan.

He heard Shikamaru huff again. If he got the meeting over with, he would have plenty of time to search for the kid. Naruto jumped down behind Shikamaru and followed him to the legendary ramen stand, Ichiriku Ramen. Teuchi expanded the little ramen stand. Now there were enough seats to fit all the rookies, but they rarely hung out together at the same time.

"Can we get this over with quick? I have things to do'ttebayo." Naruto wasn't looking at Shikamaru's face, but he imagined his eyes nearly rolled out of his head.

"You mean chasing after your mini-clone?"

Naruto frowned, "Mini-clone?"

"That boy from just now." He answered plainly.

"What about him?" Again, Shikamaru sighed and dug his hands further into his pockets.

"He looked just like you." They entered the ramen stall. Lunchtime brought in a ton of customers, but free seats were available. They sat in the corner away from the other customers, despite Naruto preferring to sit at the bar. Naruto immediately grabbed the menu despite knowing what he wanted already.

"Like me? Eh..."

Shikamaru studied him. The boy resembled him. They even had similar hair, and possibly a similar interest in mischief based on how he managed to escape Naruto. But… the boy also resembled Sakura. It was a strange coincidence that a little boy who looked a lot like them was running around the village, especially given their current… 'relationship'. Of course the boy would interest Naruto, however impossible the idea.

"Listen, Narut-"

"Excuse us!" The restaurant became silent when a few nurses from the hospital burst in. "A young boy, around five years old, left the hospital without approval. Has anyone seen him? He has blonde hair and green eyes. He's wearing a green shirt." Most of the patrons turned back to their meals, chatting amongst themselves. The nurses became more distressed when no one responded and began to leave. "If anyone happens to see him, please bring him back to the hospital."

Naruto and Shikamaru stared at each other, no one noticed the silent battle of wills. Shikamaru would rather stay put and allow the hospital staff to find the missing boy themselves. The village was only so big, it was a matter of time before they found him or he went back. Getting involved could only make the situation more complicated. Naruto on the other hand,wanted to participate in the manhunt. He didn't want the kid to escape in the first place.

"Sorry! I swear, we'll talk next time'ttebayo!" Naruto clapped his hands together, bowing guilty in front of Shikamaru.

"Hey wa-"

"See ya later Shikamaru! Tell Ino and Chouji I said hi!" Naruto jumped up from the table and quickly exited the ramen stall.

Shikamaru huffed. He was too much trouble to chase after.

* * *

Shinachiku leaned against a wall, he didn't want to move anymore. His feet hurt more than ever. His throat was so dry, it was uncomfortable to breathe too harshly. He brought his knees to his chest, trying to keep at much sun off of him as possible and stay in the shade.

He was used to the heat of Konoha, even though he heard that Suna was much warmer. Today was different. His head pounded and the amount of sweat he had to wipe was more than ever. The bandage on his forehead was soaked with it, but he decided against taking it off. At least it wasn't itching anymore.

All his attempts to find his house was futile. He tried to get to the Hokage tower, but all the roads seemed to lead him elsewhere. He felt like he was going in circles, no amount of thinking or planning worked out for him. He wanted ask someone for help… but everyone seemed so busy…

"Hey."

Shinachiku nearly jumped out of his shorts and turned to his side. The dad-imposter from before was squatting down right next to him, similar like his dad would. He hadn't even noticed when he got there. The man smiled brightly and leaned in closer.

"My name is Naruto. And what's yours little guy?"

* * *

 _Pilot Chapter of 10ish Chapters._ _Maybe, if interested_


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto stared into the boys startled eyes. He snuck up on him, but he squatted there for at least a minute or so before he spoke boy looked even worse than he had earlier. Flushed cheeks, wild eyes, swimming in his own sweat… Naruto was grateful he found him before he got any worse. Naruto moved to grab the boy, but again, the boy moved away from him. This time, Naruto noticed how confused and conflicted the boy appeared to be about this strange game of cat and mouse.

Naruto backed off again, pondering his next move. He could catch the boy easily, but… he didn't want to scare him half to death either. Naruto put on a bright smile again, instead offering a hand.

"Well? You haven't said your name yet."

The boy's eye grew wider, he hadn't heard the question before.

"... You don't know my name?"

Naruto blinked. The boy looked more confused than ever. Had he met the boy before? He be… another one of his 'fans' that sprung up of late? He couldn't remember the faces of all of them.

"Uh well… I do. I just want to know if YOU know your name'ttebayo."

Shinachiku looked unconvinced. This weird-dad was no different from his normal-dad, he sucked at lying. But why wouldn't his dad know his name? Unless this weird-dad was a trick. His parents always warned him about tricks and strangers. He stepped back.

'This isn't going well…' Naruto thought. He had to take the boy to the hospital whether he wanted to or not. Determined, Naruto advanced forward with no warning. The boy yelped and avoided him preemptively. The boy ran off again, but this time, Naruto stayed on his heels.

Shinachiku kept running, hoping to ditch him in the crowd again, but the crowd had thinned out. People noticed Naruto's pursuit and actively moved out of their way to his dismay. Shinachiku peered over his shoulder, hoping that the man would give up again and leave him be.

The rock Shinachiku tripped over had a different opinion.

Shinachiku braced himself for the fall… but it never came. The man caught him before he hit the ground.

"You need to be more careful." Shinachiku felt the man's chest rumble when he spoke. He liked to lean against his parents and listen to them speak. The vibrations were comforting. "Are you all right?"

He shrugged and wrapped his arms around Naruto's chest. Running away seemed pointless. Surprised, Naruto gently rubbed the boy's back. His energy finally ran out.

"I want to go home," Shinachiku whispered.

"Sure, you can go home," Naruto gently patted the boy on his back before picking him up, cheerfully smiling at him. "After we take you back to the hospital'ttebayo." He expected the boy to resist or refuse, but the boy laid his head on his shoulder instead. There weren't too many kids willing to visit the hospital… could he really be that ill? Concerned, Naruto made his way to the hospital. He decided to walk rather than travel by rooftop, juggling the boy around while jumping seemed like a bad idea.

A nurse approached him as soon as he entered the building. She looked anxious.

"Ah, Naruto. You found him, thank goodness," The woman reached out to take Shinachiku into her arms, but the boy hugged Naruto tighter, much to his surprise. "Do you know this boy?" She asked.

"Uh well… I think you should check over him. He's sick." The nurse scrutinized him before she motioned for him to follow. None of the nurses groaned in annoyance from his presence to his surprise. A few months ago, he was in and out everyday, bothering Sakura during her break and off time. Now… he had little to come here to see her.

"Place him on the bed," she instructed. Naruto tried to do so, but the boy still clung to him like glue. His attitude was… endearing. Instead, Naruto sat on the bed with him. This seemed to please the boy and his grip loosened.

The nurse checked over him. His little adventure outside earned him extra scratches here and there, and some of his bandages had come off. With Naruto's help, she cleaned the wounds and rewrapped them.

"What's your name?" The boy hadn't spoken since they got here. Naruto listened closely, he didn't know his name either.

Shinachiku blinked, many thoughts were going through his head. Everything was wrong. He couldn't find his house, and many of the street gone or completely new. His father's face was missing from the mountain, his mother couldn't have erased his face like that. People acted like they didn't know him. Even his own father. They were asking for his name. Was it a trick?

"My name is Shina…" he finally responded.

"Shina? What about your last name?" she continued.

"Yeah." He answered. His parents always told him in a suspicious stranger asked his name, never give his full name, especially not his last name. The nurse waited, displeased with his answer. She let it be.

"Alright Shina, how do you feel? Tired? Thirsty? Dizzy?" The nurse pulled out a clipboard from a shelf nearby, taking notes.

"I'm… I'm tired'ttebaro."

The nurse nodded knowingly, but Naruto nearly jerked off of the bed. The nurse eyed him again, but Naruto looked away. She hadn't noticed the boy's manner of speech.

"Shina, you hit your head a little too hard." She sat in a chair nearby and scooted closer. "Do you remember how you hit your head?"

Confused, Shina reached up, gently touching his head near the newly wrapped bandage. He didn't recall falling, but he tripped a lot. In fact… he didn't remember anything that happened today other than waking up in the hospital.

"It's all right if you don't remember. You might remember later." She continued to write, but paused, noticing Naruto's expression. He seemed strained and confused. When Naruto realized he was being stared at, he looked away again.

"Shina " she continued, "Who are your parents so we can see you home?"

Shina became hesitant again and shifted in Naruto's lap. The nurse noticed his strange distrust.

"How about this Shina, Naruto will help you go home. You won't have to tell me." She smiled kindly, pleased when the boy returned a smile. "Great, we'll do that. But first, I need to speak to Naruto outside please."

The nurse waited as Naruto placed Shina on the bed before exiting into the hallway. The tall boy… no, man, shuffled out, cracking the door behind him.

"Naruto, why are you acting strangely? Should I ask someone else to take the boy home? He doesn't need your… goofiness right now." Naruto shook his hands, but didn't explain his behavior, nervously scratching his chin.

"I can take him home… but don't you have records of him or something? You can find out his parents easily."

"That boy is not in our records."

"... How is that?"

"He was found injured right outside of the village. A team found him as they were returning. He had a fairly minor concussion and minor lacerations. He must have fallen somewhere."

"He said he didn't fall."

"He didn't say anything. It's fairly common for patients with a concussion not being able to remember how the trauma occurred, especially children." The woman stared at him as if he were stupid. She wasn't wrong. "The boy seems to trust you more than he trusts me, so you should help him get home. You need to return to the hospital once you find his parents or alert them to bring their son back. We might have missed his file, but if that boy is not in our files… it's questionable why he is here."

Naruto glanced through the cracked door into the room. Shina still sat patiently, gently swinging his legs off the edge of the bed. Nothing about the boy seemed suspicious. He seem genuinely lost and confused. His appearance made him curious. The little boy had to be related to her. What threw him off was the familiar verbal tic...

"No worries, I'll get him home'ttebayo."

* * *

Naruto and Shina bid farewell to the nurse, but not before she further doubted Naruto's ability to take Shina home safely. Naruto walked with Shina to the hospital gates. Naruto stopped, glancing down as his smaller companion.

"So." Naruto crouched down to Shina's level. "Where do you live?" Shina shrugged. "… What does your house look like?"

"My house… my house is blue."

"Ah blue…" Naruto did his best not to laugh. "Anything else?"

"And… we have a fence. And a big window in the front," Shinachiku continued. "And there's a big tree in the backyard."

"I see I see. But… you don't remember the street name or anything?" At this rate, Naruto they would never find his house. There were plenty of blue houses in Konoha, houses with fences, and houses with trees in the backyard. Shina shuffled on his feet. Maybe he was too young to pay attention to street names.

"If you don't remember, we'll have to search by foot!" Naruto reached down and placed the boy onto his shoulders. He expected the boy to be surprised, but he naturally held onto Naruto's head. "I'll let you pick where we start."

Shina pointed in the general direction of his home. He knew the way home from the hospital, or at least, he thought he did.

Naruto carried him through the village along the path he remembered, but soon enough the path become unfamiliar again. Shina recognized none of the houses they passed by.

"I'm lost…" Shina rested his chin on Naruto's head.

"You're not lost, I'm here with you right?" Naruto couldn't see the boy's expression, but it didn't seem to lift his mood much. He knew little about concussions, but surely it explained why Shina had trouble with directions. Naruto glanced toward the Hokage Tower. The boy didn't seem to be in their records, but he had the Uzumaki symbol on his clothes, not uncommon for Konoha children. Every shinobi wore the symbol upon their vests. Something about a treaty...

"How about we look for your parents instead." Naruto suggested. "Are they shinobi?" The boy nodded eagerly. "Great! That'll make things easier'ttebayo." Naruto knew most of the shinobi in service, even if only by their face and not their name. "How about… you describe your mom. And your dad."

Shina lifted his head. He wouldn't tell the man his parents name… but telling them what they looked like would help him go home. He couldn't describe his dad because… the man WAS his dad, or that's what it seemed like. Was his dad lost too? Had he forgotten about him and his mom? Everything was too strange.

"Mom… has green eyes like me."

"Uh huh."

"And, she has pretty pink hair."

Naruto paused mid-step. The only two people in the village were Sakura and her own father. But the only one with green eyes AND pink hair...

"And… and she's a doctor. She's super strong too."

Naruto felt sweat trickling down his back. Maybe the concussion the kid had was affecting his memories. The nurse said something about confusion, didn't she? Surely Sakura didn't have a kid at this age. But… he hadn't seen **her** in months, maybe she adopted a kid or… well, she definitely didn't give birth to one in such a short amount of time. He felt the boy tap his head. Naruto looked up, meeting the boy's eyes. Sakura's eyes.

Naruto cleared his throat and changed direction. "Listen Shina, I think I might know where you live. If it's not the right place… we can try again tomorrow, ok?" Shina nodded and slumped further onto Naruto's head. It was getting pretty late, it might be well past his bedtime. Naruto jogged carefully, the path to her home was etched permanently in his mind. He used to be there at least a few times a week. She used to let him sleep on the couch if he was too lazy to go back to his small apartment.

"This is it," Naruto announced. Shina lifted his head, studying the unfamiliar home. A light was still on inside, he thought he saw someone walk by. Shina blinked when he felt himself being lifted again. Naruto held him in his arms. "If this isn't the place … we'll keep looking tomorrow, remember?" When the boy nodded, Naruto approached the house.

Naruto swallowed hard before he knocked on the door. He used to barge in, much to Sakura's dismay. There was shuffling behind the door before the lock finally opened and the door creaked.

Sakura peeked out, squinting into the darkness. She seemed to remember something before she turned and flicked on the light next to her door. Naruto stood at her door. He looked nervous and uptight, but that was the least of her worries. Naruto was carrying a little boy with a bandage wrapped around his head. His eyes were wide with recognition and surprise, but that quickly turned to what seemed to be confusion.

"Hey, Sakura-chan. Long time no see." Naruto froze when Sakura finally looked back at him. She seemed curious of Shina in his arms, but she immediately looked annoyed with him. Despite that, she was as beautiful as ever. "Sorry to bother you so late'ttebayo."

"Naruto, what's going on?"

"Uh well… it's kind of complicated…" He trailed off when Shina leaned onto his chest and hid his face into his shoulder. He didn't know what he expected, but he had hoped the kid would have a positive reaction to seeing his… 'mother'. Naruto sighed and rubbed his head. "Well Sakura-chan, this kid is a bit lost and after a little questioning… it led me here. But it looks like I got it wrong."

"You still haven't told me what happened." Sakura opened the door wider, the situation peaked her interest.

"Well you see, this kid… Shina, he got hurt and was in the hospital. By mistake, they let him out of the hospital, but he got lost. I took him back and I decided to help him find his house, but he isn't exactly sure how to get there."

"... But why did you come here?" Sakura frowned. It was typical of Naruto to ask her for help, but that didn't seem to be the case, especially since he hadn't visited in months.

"I'm here because… well, he described what his mom looked like and… it kind of fit your description. He might be confused, but I figure I'd try anyway."

Sakura blinked. Surely Naruto didn't come here thinking she was the mother of what to be a four year old. She glanced at the boy, but he still had his face hidden in Naruto's neck. The boy appeared to have blond hair, but she didn't pay very much attention to the details of his face.

"Have you been to the tower?"

"No, not yet. I guess I can go tomorrow after he's had some rest'ttebayo." Naruto took a step back. He wanted to step past Sakura and sink into her couch while begging for a snack, or pretend to need to use the bathroom only to raid her kitchen and watch some tv. It looked so inviting inside, it seemed nothing had changed.

But so many things had.

"Well, thanks for the help Sakura-chan, but we should get going."

"Wait a second!" She called out. Naruto paused mid turn. Her call was enough to make the boy lift up his head in curiosity, but Naruto stepped too far into the darkness for her to get a good look. "What happened to him that he needed to be in the hospital?"

"Ah, no worries Sakura-chan. He's fine. The nurse lady said he had a minor concussion or something."

"A concussion?"

"Yeah, but he'll be fine with some rest right? I've got it handled." Naruto assured.

"I don't think you do. You don't know the first thing about concussions." She argued. Naruto looked offended before he dug into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper.

"The nurse gave me a list of things to-do and to-know." When Sakura narrowed his eyes, Naruto insistently held it up more. "I know how to read Sakura-chan!" She rolled her eyes, glancing inside at a clock on her wall.

"The hospital should still be open. You should take him back."

Naruto sighed. Taking him back to the hospital seemed like a good idea, but… he wanted to keep him. Besides, a hospital room is uncomfortable, and Shina seemed comfortable enough with him.

"Sakura-chan, it'll be fine. He wants to stay with me… right?" He hoped the boy would play along and agree. When the boy slowly nodded, Naruto felt unexpectedly pleased. "See?"

Sakura frowned and stepped closer. She gently tapped the boy's shoulder and he turned around, surprised. Her eyes widened when she finally got a good look at him. He looked like Naruto, or at least, very similar. Sakura shook her head, focusing more on the bandages around his head. The boy was fatigued, he definitely needed rest.

The hospital would be the best place for him to rest. There were nurses around the clock to monitor his concussion and surely they could find his parents or his home. They must have overlooked something.

"Sakura, please."

She glanced up, meeting Naruto's eyes. He was pleading with her now. Typical of Naruto to become so attached to a child he only just met. She… admired that quality of his. Sakura shook her head again with a sigh.

"Leave him with me tonight."

"What, why?"

Sakura rolled her eyes again. "Who is trained in medical procedures here? I'll watch over him for the night and you can help him find his way home tomorrow." Naruto looked hesitant, but the child looked unfazed. Too tired to react she assumed. Sakura stepped closer, carefully taking the boy from his arms. Shina immediately draped his arms over her shoulders.

"Are you sure about this? Don't you have work tomorrow?"

"Naruto, there's no need to be jealous. It's just for the night." Sakura insisted as she turned, heading back into her home. Naruto followed her.

"I'm not jealous! I want to make sure he's ok."

"You don't trust me?" Sakura sharply turned, meeting his eyes again. That shut him up.

"I'll be here in the morning'ttebayo." Naruto leaned down, meeting Shina's tired gaze. "Sleep tight!" He gently pet the boy's head.

"Ok… papa."


	3. Chapter 3

_'Ok… papa.'_

To hear anyone say that to him, let alone a little boy who looked so much like Sakura, was shocking to say the least. He had no words. In the end, he bid Sakura a silent farewell and waited until she firmly shut her door before he turned away.

A dad? Him? It was a silly thought. Naruto rubbed his head bashfully, he'd never admit out loud how his heart jumped out of his chest with what seemed like joy. Why would he be so happy over a confused little boy accidently calling him 'papa'?

Naruto paused and turned toward the clear sky. The stars were clearly visible, but the moon seemed to be hiding.

"Bah, he's just confused''ttebayo."

As soon the words left his mouth, he felt a clench in his chest. That only happened when he told a lie.

* * *

Sakura helped him undress and bathed him. Shina was sweaty and dusty from the events of the day. Normally, he'd love to play with some bubbles or splash the water, but his whole body felt heavy and everything seemed so cloudy. But his mother always told him being clean made you feel better, and she was right.

Sakura didn't have clothes that would fit a child, but she managed to find one of the smallest shirts and shorts she had. They still hung off of his body. The scene made her chuckle.

"How do you feel, Shina?" She gently took his hand and lead him through the house to the living room. She prepared him a comfortable mat to sleep on with plenty of blankets. She looked down at him when he failed to answer. Shina's eyes were shut and his feet dragging. Sakura leaned down, taking the boy into her arms again.

"Tired huh?" She carried him over the bedding and laid him down. He looked at her with half lidded eyes as she pulled the blanket up to his chest. "How is that?"

"... It's warm." Shina reached up and pulled the cover up to his neck. He felt her hand rest on his forehead, prompting him to open his eyes a little more to watch her. The woman looked just like his mom, but he hadn't seen his mother wear her hair like that except in pictures. The man that looked like his papa said she lived here, but this wasn't their house. Their house was bigger, and he had his own room and his own bed. Shina blinked sleepily, noticing that the strange lady was staring at him as much as he was staring at her. He raised the blanket higher, covering most of his face in embarrassment.

"Get some rest, " Sakura chuckled. She gently pet his head and prepared to leave him alone when he suddenly pulled the covers back down*

"Where… where is Naruto?" He asked carefully. Saying his father's name felt strange, but he wasn't sure if the man was really his father.

Sakura paused. 'No "papa" this time?'

When Shina uttered 'papa' at the door, Naruto and Sakura halted in surprise. Sakura assumed Naruto had been telling the kid to call him that, but Naruto silently shook his hands in protest. Shina must have slipped up and called him that by mistake, or that's what she thought. The boy looked awkward calling Naruto by his name, maybe even a little ashamed?

"Don't worry, you'll see him in the morning." Sakura rubbed his head in reassurance. He looked pleased. His half lidded eyes threatened to close.

"Can you stay until I go to sleep?"

"Of course."

Sakura waited patiently, rubbing the boy's head as he tossed and turned under the sheets. Eventually she resorted to rubbing his back and that did the trick. He finally settled down into a deeper sleep. Sakura gently touched his forehead, checking for fever. Sweat beaded up on his forehead. She stood and grabbed a cloth from the closet to wipe his forehead. She swept the hair back and dabbed it dry. It was then she noticed the size of his forehead. His hair seemed to cover it naturally. She snorted softly. Somehow, it made him a little more adorable. She placed the towel firmly onto his forehead, it would probably stay there most of the night.

She left him there and got ready for bed. Even on her day off, she obtained a patient. In this case, she didn't mind. She rested her head on her pillow and quickly turned off the lamp beside her bed. She had hoped sleep would take her quickly, but she was never the lucky type.

She hadn't expected Naruto to show his face. They hadn't spoken in months, and she avoided him like a plague. At some point, he got the picture and left her alone. Things couldn't be like they were before. He had a new path to follow and so did she.

* * *

She woke early that morning and got ready for work as usual. She felt sluggish and wanted to sleep in, but work had to be done. She stepped out into the living room and stumbled in surprise. She nearly forgot that she was taking care of Shina for the night. Going to work early was out of the question.

Sakura approached him quietly, gently feeling his forehead. The cloth had fallen off, but it wasn't soaked. He sweat very little through the night and looked rested. His bandages were still on and no blood to be seen. Fantastic, but it would be best to stick around and make him some breakfast. She removed her lab coat and entered the kitchen. A little soup would do him well, and it didn't take long to make it either.

When someone grabbed her shoulder, instinct took over. She turned, ramming her elbow into their ribs. It wouldn't kill the intruder, but it would stun them long enough for her to-

"Urrgggg…" That groan was all too familiar. She turned around, finding Naruto crouched on the floor holding his chest.

"Sakura-channnn, what was that for?!"

"What are you doing in my house?!" She raised her hand, covering an embarrassed blush. "I told you about coming into my house without permission!"

"I was coming to check on Shina." Naruto got to his feet, holding his abdomen. "I didn't want to wake you up. Or him up by knocking or something."

"Naruto, you can't just enter my house like that anymore, people will get the wrong idea. Idiot." Sakura refocused on her task at hand, preparing a pot for the soup. She narrowed her eyes when Naruto came and stood beside her.

"Get the wrong idea of what? That we're friends? I don't remember that changing."

"Friends don't enter each other's houses without permission."

"Ino comes in here all the time when-" Sakura slammed the pot onto the stove. Naruto jerked back, glancing back into the living room where Shina slept. The noise didn't stir him. Naruto looked to Sakura who had also turned to check on Shina, she looked a little guilty. Naruto huffed and ran a hand through his hair, deciding to change the topic.

"Not sure what I said last night, but I guess I should tell you the whole story'ttebayo."

"Yes, you should." She instructed, focused on the warming pot.

"So, I was about to eat out with Shikamaru right? All the sudden Shina runs into me. He looked so spooked and confused and ran away before I could catch him. He's real quick." Naruto leaned against the counter as Sakura stirred the breakfast broth.

"A few minutes later, some hospital staff rushed in saying they were looking for him. So I went out looking for him myself. He looked… lost. I caught him and took him back to the hospital. They said he had a concussion and he doesn't know how, but they found him unconscious right outside the village."

"But why did you bring him here? What was that all about?"

"I uh… asked what his mother and father looked like. He said his mom had green eyes like him. Pink hair, really strong… a doctor…."

"I'm not his mother obviously."

"I know'ttebayo. But it's not like I had any other clues. And… he does look like you."

Sakura frowned and turned to dispute his claim. He was staring at her, the intensity silenced her. She cleared her throat and turned back to the pot.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" She could see his concentrated gaze from the corner of her eye.

"Go wake up Shina. The soup is done."

"I wanted to talk some more while I have the chance since you never let me in here anymore." Naruto leaned further into the counter, trying to meet her eyes. "We barely hang out now."

"Why would we? You should be spending that time with your girlfriend."

"Saku-"

"Girlfriend?"

Naruto and Sakura turned, finding Shina standing just outside the kitchen. His eyes were wide, as if he had heard the strangest news imaginable.

"Ah, you're awake! Great, I don't have to do it." Naruto glanced at Sakura before he leaned away, approaching the sleepy child.

"Go help him get dressed so he can eat." Sakura pointed the spoon toward bathroom, not that Naruto needed directions in the first place.

"Uh, well, alright." Naruto picked him up and walked down the small hall. He stopped suddenly, backing up into Sakura was in view again. "Wait, what clothes will he wear?"

"I washed his. They're hanging up in the bathroom" Sakura called out as she poured the steaming soup into a bowl.

Naruto entered the bathroom, carefully putting the boy on his feet. His clothes were hanging on the towel rack. They even looked ironed out. Naruto grabbed the clothes and handed them over.

"Here you go."

Shina took the clothes, but promptly placed them on the ground. He reached for his large borrowed shirt and tried to pull it off, but he became entangled. Shina struggled and grunted for a few moments before Naruto helped pull off the shirt. He held in a laugh, but didn't hide his chuckling. Shina reached for his own shirt and started to pull it over his head, but once again, he struggled. Naruto held in his snort and helped him pull the shirt over his large head. Who knew watching a child try to dress himself could be so hilarious.

Naruto didn't wait to help the boy get on his pants. He held them open as Shina used his forearms to balance himself and step inside. Naruto assumed he was used to someone helping him get dressed rather than dressing himself. Naruto buttoned up the pants and straightened his shirt.

"Ok, to the kitchen table." Naruto ushered him out of the bathroom back to the kitchen. Sakura already prepared him with a seat, including a pillow to boost him up. She picked him up and placed him in the chair.

"Eat carefully, the soup is still hot." She gave him a spoon and sat in a seat next to him. Naruto sat in another seat and flashed her a smile. Sakura narrowed her eyes and focused on the little child in the seat as he ate the soup. Naruto blinked. What did he did to make her mad now?

"So Shina-chan, today Naruto will help you find your home, right?"

He tilted the spoon before it managed to reach his mouth, causing the liquid to spill onto the clean table. These people aren't his mom and dad. This isn't his house. The strange events from the previous day flooded into his mind.

"Are you alright?" Sakura gently turned his face towards words. He met his mother's eyes, except… this lady wasn't his mother.

"If you keep holding your mouth wide like that, people are gonna think you fell in love." Shina closed his mouth and turned. His dad was smirking at him. Annoyed, he turned back to the warm soup, quickly consuming a few spoonfuls before he slowed down. Naruto laughed loudly before he suddenly stopped, gripping his leg under the table.

"Shina, " Sakura gently turned his head in her direction again, seemingly oblivious to Naruto's sudden aliment. "Don't let this fool distract you today, alright? I'm sure your parents really want you to go home, so do your best."

* * *

"Sooo, today is the day." Naruto carried Shina on his shoulders and spun playfully, earning a laugh from the boy. At least he was easily entertained. "Where do you want to start?"

Shina rested his head on Naruto's. They already searched so much yesterday and they still didn't find his house. He KNEW his mom and dad would come looking for him, but there was no sight of them. Well… except the people who looked a lot like his parents, but they didn't recognize him at all. What was going on? He couldn't wrap his head around it.

"Uh…. I don't know," He finally answered.

"What? You don't know?" Naruto looked up, meeting Shina's eyes.

"... This place is weird'ttebaro." Naruto tripped over his own feet, but stayed upright. Shina gasped, holding Naruto's head tightly.

"Ah, sorry." Naruto assured. In the hospital, he thought it was a mistake or he misheard. "'ttebaro" he said? He hadn't heard anyone else with a tic like that. Well, except himself… and his mother. He saw younger fans copying him , saying "ttebayo!" after every sentence they spoke. It made him a little self conscious, he didn't say it that often, did he?

But Shina… "ttebaro". He heard it twice now, and he clearly wasn't doing it on purpose. It flowed out naturally, and it was of his own flavor.

But… what did that mean?

"Papa."

"Huh?" He answered by mistake. He started to correct himself, but noticed Shina pointing into the distance.

"I know that place!"

Naruto quickly jogged over and stopped before entering a less traveled street. All the houses looked well taken care of and crisp. His parents must be moderately well off. Shina wiggled on Naruto's shoulders, wanting to be placed down. Naruto granted his wish, but held onto his hand just in case.

"This… looks like it. Sorta."

"This looks like your street?"

Shina looked up, his dad looked curious and … pleased? Was he happy that he found his own house? Or, if this was a trick, was the person happy that he pointed out his own house to do bad things?

"Maybe… it's not."

Naruto frowned. Shina had looked so certain a moment before until he looked at his face. Did his face give the boy that much uncertainty?

"Wouldn't hurt to look, right? Let's walk around a bit'ttebayo." Naruto lead the boy across the street, keeping a firm grip on his hand. Shina kept pace as they walked.

The neighborhood was quiet and clean. Some of the houses looked strikingly familiar. He passed by that house every day, but he didn't remember there being such a large tree in the front yard. He remembered that house, but the fence in the front yard was missing.

And finally, there was his house. He hardly recognized it. The house looked like it had once been painted white, but the faded coloring made it hard to tell. There wasn't a fence in the backyard like there used to be, but he could easy see the familiar tree in the backyard. The branches twisted and turned in strange ways; it was unlike any of the other trees in the neighborhood. His father told him someone must have twisted the tree in many strange ways when it was really little.

"Is this your house?"

Shina startled and looked up to the tall man beside him. Naruto glanced down at him encouragingly.

"... No…" Shina turned to the house again, doubtful.

"Do you want to have a closer look?" Naruto gently pulled the boy closer to the house. The house looked abandoned. Not run down, but uas if it hadn't been lived in in years. The ward was a little unkept and the house needed a paint job badly.

Naruto looked up the stairs that led on the porch. As soon as he took the first step, the rotted would creaked loudly. Deciding to be safe, Naruto took Shina into his arms and ascended the stairs. Curtains covered the window from the inside, but some of the inside could be seen. The room was empty except for large furniture pushed against the walls.

"Can I see?" Naruto still held Shina in his arms, but he was unable to see inside. Naruto put him closer to the window.

Hands pressed against the window, he peered inside. The inside look like his house too… but none of their stuff was inside. In his house, pictures were on every wall. There were various bookshelves of all of his mother's medical books, and some of his own books. His dad hid all his manga under the couch so that his mother wouldn't throw them away.

"You sure this isn't your house?" Naruto asked again.

"... It's not.

* * *

"We'll keep looking tomorrow."

"I know." Shina kicked the ground as he walked. Their elongated shadows shifted and bounced as they walked down the street. There were still many people out despite the evening approaching so quickly.

Naruto wasn't blind. Shina's face displayed disappointment and confusion. Shina definitely believed that to be his house. It was empty and looked empty for years… but Naruto noted its address anyway. They walked aimlessly longer before Naruto grew tired of the silence. He picked the child up and spun him around like he did earlier.

"Come on, cheer up'ttebayo!" Naruto was rewarded with hesitant giggles. "Tomorrow, we'll find it for sure. Naruto poked and prodded, easily finding the most ticklish parts of Shina's body. His giggles quickly evolved into laughter.

"S-stop it!" Shina screamed. It drew the attention of some people that walked by. Naruto stopped, allowing the boy to catch his breath. Naruto waited, but held us his hand threatening. Shina flinched and giggled, preparing to defend his ticklish parts.

"For now, it might be best to get back to Sakura's. She's probably off work by now... " Naruto looked up to the sky, trying to determine what time it was.

Shina looked, but something else caught his eye.

"Papa!"

Naruto's eyes widened. He looked around, expecting to find a man whom Shina resembled approaching them. Instead, he met Shina's eager emerald eyes. Shina called him 'papa' again.

"Uh-"

"Can we go get some ramen?" Shina pointed off in the distance where the ramen stand stood.

"Yeah but Shina..." Naruto let the 'papa' slip quite a lot. At first he thought the boy was confused and disoriented from the concussion, but now it seemed like Shina ACTUALLY confused him for his father.

"Huh?" Shina looked at him questioningly. He expected an excited enthusiastic response, his dad always enjoyed ramen. Even for breakfast.

"... Ah nothing. Alright, let's go get some ramen." Naruto set the boy on his feet and followed him through the crowd to the ramen stand. He wanted to correct the boy, before he got anymore confused… but something held him back. He didn't particularly hate being called 'dad' though. He definitely had to have a good talk with the Shina real soon.

They came into the small building, greeted with the smiling face of Teuchi.

"Ah, Naruto! Welcome. And with a guest?"

"Good to see you old man." Naruto decided to eat at the bar and helped Shina into a seat of his own. "What do you want Shina?"

"Miso please!" Shina held the menu in his hands, glancing over the options as he gently swung his feet. He couldn't read all the menu options, but the pictures looked delicious. He always ordered the same meal as his dad, though he couldn't eat nearly as much.

"Alright, two Miso's please!"

Teuchi immediately started working on the order. "Only two? Usually you eat so much Naruto. On a diet?"

"Ah, I guess. People keep telling me I should eat Hinata's food instead."

Shina stopped swinging his feet. Hinata?

"I see, but I don't want to lose my best paying customer."

"Don't worry don't worry, I'll still come at least once a day at least'ttebayo." Naruto chuckled, but turned when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Shina held his jacket firmly in his grasp.

"She didn't tell you that." Shina remembered his mother berating his dad about eating ramen right before dinner or eating it for breakfast. He would listen, but eventually he fell back into eating it as a snack. His dad always asked him to keep it a secret when he caught him snacking on ramen, but Shina enjoyed tattling on him sometimes. One thing was clear, it wasn't Hinata that told him that. Hinata was his father's friend but…

Naruto chuckled again, ruffling the boy's hair. "Of course she did. How would you know Shina?"

"I just know it." He insisted, brushing Naruto's hand from his head. "… Mom that said that…" Shinachiku trailed off, realizing his mistake. They locked eyes, both surprised by Shina's words. He knew it, he had forgotten. This mystery man wasn't his father. And… the lady he stayed with wasn't his mother. But why did they act so similar? It confused him.

"Shina… I'm… I'm not your dad, right?"

"Here you are." Teuchi placed the bowls on the countertop, letting them escape from the tense atmosphere between them. Shinachiku stood on the barstool and looked into the fresh bowl of steaming ramen. Something was missing. His favorite part of ramen were the freshly chopped carrots sprinkled around. Teuchi always put extra carrots in his ramen, he didn't have to ask anymore because Teuchi knew to do it. This bowl lacked it.

Shina blinked, he wasn't sure how long he had been staring at the bowl of ramen, but the distinct feeling of tears overwhelmed his senses. He couldn't hold them back anymore. He cried. He wanted to since he woke up in the hospital. Everything flipped upside down when he wasn't paying attention.

Naruto tried to comfort him, but he didn't want to be comforted. Not by him. He wanted to go home, to his mom and dad. He wanted to lay in his own bed, in his own house, with his real parents.

Why couldn't he go home?

* * *

Sakura paced by the door impatiently. She didn't even know if Naruto was going to come back, he probably helped the boy find his place… right?

She sighed, rubbing her head. The signs of a headache stormed underneath the surface. Work tired her out. There were plans to expand the hospital, a department for children services. Tsunade told her it would be a handful, and she was right. The amount of scrambling around stressed her out.

Sakura plopped onto her couch, trying to relax. It was well into the evening now. She felt strangely… disappointed. She didn't get to spend much time with Shina, but he was so well behaved. Cute too. She wouldn't mind meeting his parents or seeing him once in awhile to make sure he was ok.

A knock at the door startled her from a daze. Ino would have barged in already. She had a key. They knocked again, more frantic this time. Sakura rolled her eyes, only Naruto would be so impatient. She approached the door, carefully unlocking it and peeking outside.

"Can I come in?" Naruto stood outside holding Shina. He looked stressed and exhausted.

"What? You didn't f-"

"Sakura-chan, please. I can explain inside."

Sakura stepped aside and allowed him inside. It was then she heard the soft sniffles coming from the boy in his arms.

"What happened?"

"Uh well… I guess we didn't find his house'ttebayo."

"What do you mean 'you guess'?"

"The house he thought was his was completely empty."

"What…" Sakura looked down when Shina shifted in Naruto's arm. Shina turned and met her eyes. He reached out to her, almost desperately. She took him into her arms without a second thought. Shina held onto her tightly, like he was scared she would disappear. She rubbed his back gently. "Naruto, what happened?"

"I was going to take him home… but I don't think he would like that." Naruto avoided her eyes and looked at everything but her. "So, I figured he could stay here again and we'd go to the Hokage's office tomorrow."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Naruto finally looked at her in surprise.

"Why not?"

"This is stressing him out. I'm going to take work off tomorrow to get him clothes and something to do until we figure this out." Sakura walked down the hall towards the bathroom. Before she entered the door, Naruto blocked her way with his arm. "? What are you doing?"

"Sakura, it's going to stress him out more if we keep him for too long right? We can take him to the Hokage's office tomorrow and… and-"

"And what Naruto? They'll figure it out? I'm sure they will, but they'll keep him somewhere even more unfamiliar while they search." Sakura brushed him aside and help the boy undress. She inwardly congratulated herself on washing the pajamas he used the night prior. Her mother's strict attitude on cleanliness started to pay off.

Naruto silently stood outside of the door as she washed and dressed Shina for bed. He hadn't been very talkative the night before, but he spoke more than this. When she finally laid him down in the bed she made up, he fell asleep quickly without her assistance. She left the room and switched off the light. She watched him for a while to make sure he didn't wake up, there were bags under his eyes. Even if his sleep, his face held great tension.

She turned, looking for Naruto, but he was no longer in the hall. She almost called out for him, but heard clanking in the kitchen. When she entered it, Naruto sat at the table and had helped himself to her milk.

"Naruto, what happened? It looks like he's been crying for a while." He shrugged, hesitant to answer. "... Naruto." She growled.

"We looked around and apparently he recognized this street. So we went to have a look and there's this house. He looked so convinced that it was his house but he kept saying it wasn't. So... we looked a bit more and I decided we'd stop for the day."

"And?"

"And so, I offered to take him for some ramen and me and Teuchi were joking around and it seems like… Shina got really upset."

"What were you joking about?"

"Just… stuff about Hinata not wanting me to eat ramen and stuff. The usual'ttebayo."

"And why did that make him upset?"

"Sakura, I don't really know. … For some reason, Shina is confusing us for his parents so he got really upset when I talked about my girlfriend. That's it."

"Well, why did you have to talk about her in front of him anyway? He's all confused and lost, you probably made it worse for him." Sakura crossed her arms.

"How am I supposed to know something like that would make him upset? I didn't bring her up."

"Well next time, maybe you should watch your mouth and what you do or say around him until we find him his place."

She saw sweat starting to bead around his forehead. He loosened his jacket and held the glass of milk tightly.

"Look, I'm sorry ok? I'll… make it up to him when we go shopping tomorrow."

"'We'? I don't remember inviting you. You can't shop even if your life depended on it."

"What? But S-"

"It's about time you left, right? I'm going to take care of him tomorrow and you're going to… go do whatever you do with Hinata."

"I never said I was going to do something with Hinata tomorrow." Naruto straightened in his seat.

"But you should. She's your girlfriend afterall. Now go." Sakura walked to the door and held it open. She tried to hold it back, but discussions about Hinata always made her antsy. She helped them get together, or more like, she forced Naruto in Hinata's direction, but that is how it should be. Right? … The less they spoke about his… relationship, the better.

"Sakura, Hinata and I… We hang out sometimes. She understands ok? I want to keep helping Shina and hang out with you-"

"No, YOU don't get it. She doesn't 'understand', she's too shy to speak her mind you dunce! Every moment you're trying to hang out with me you should want to spend with her!"

Naruto stood from his chair, but his eyes never left hers. He wanted to say something, but held himself back. What would he say? Would he be upset?

"Sakura-chan. It's… not like that."

"... Naruto, please leave." Sakura looked to the floor. He gave her THAT look again, the that made her heart sink. She could practically read his mind. Sometimes she enjoyed being one of the few people who could, but she didn't want to be tonight.

He stood there for a bit longer before he finally left the table. He stopped before walking through the door. She curseed silently at how it makes her heart jump.

"Sakura-chan, I… want us to be like before. Why can't we do that? What happened?"

"It can't be like before." Sakura gulped, finally having the courage to look him in the eye again. She hoped she looked stubborn and not regretful. "I already told you this… so please leave when I ask you to.

Normally, Naruto wouldn't back down, especially if he thought he was right. But tonight he did. She closed the door and slumped against it, trying to regain her composure. It always ended up like this. They talked, then they 'argued', and finally, Sakura had to force herself to kick him out in fear of what might happened if they were left alone for too long.

Sakura peeked into the living room to make sure their talking didn't wake Shina from his sleep. His face was relaxed now, maybe he found peace in a nice dream.

She didn't want to think about Naruto, she'd focus on Shina instead. Get him clothes, maybe a toy or two. Enough to keep him busy until she could figure out his parents' identity and where he lived.

Yes, that would keep her distracted enough. Enough to ignore how much Shina looked Naruto while he slept.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Note:** Sorry about posting the wrong chapter. They were right next to each other and named chapter 4..._

* * *

Naruto got up much earlier than he normally did. Our rather, he couldn't sleep in at all. Worry clouded all his thoughts. Why did he always end up caring for strangers so much?

He sneezed and wiped his nose in annoyance.

He'd make a special allowance for Shina. He was just a kid, and not even a bratty one. He wondered if Sakura would have even let the child stay if Shina caused too much of a fuss.

* * *

When he reached the Hokage Tower, he nodded respectfully to some of the secretaries and continued on toward Kakashi's office. He hoped Kakashi would be there so early in the morning. For once, he lucked out. Kakashi had just entered his office with fresh coffee in hand when Naruto caught his eye.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi winced and sighed, staring off into space with a bored expression. "Do you need to be so loud in the morning?" Naruto shrugged unapologetically.

"Sensei, I got a problem on my hands and I need some help."

"Not for the first time." Kakashi entered his office and Naruto followed quickly behind. "Make an appointment." Kakashi sat in his chair behind the desk as Naruto stubbornly plopped in a seat across from him. Getting Naruto out if his office would be no easy task. Kakashi sighed again, leaning back into his seat.

"What do-"

"So there's this kid found outside the village unconscious. He has a small concussion and memory loss. He's not in the records at the hospital either. So, I volunteered to help him get home or find his parents with no luck."

Kakashi stared at Naruto boredly. As usual, Naruto wrapped himself up in something complicated. In fact, Kakashi concluded Naruto somehow made the situation more complicated than it needed to be.

"And where is the kid now? The hospital?"

"Sakura-chan is looking after him."

"Sakura?" Kakashi blinked. He knew of Naruto and Sakura's deteriorating relationship, but stayed out of it.

"Yeah. She.. is gonna look after him today. We looked for his house for the last two days, but we only found an empty house."

"What house."

Naruto dug into his pocket and pulled out the note with the address.

"... This is the address?"

"Yeah. Nothing inside though. Needed a paint job too." When Kakashi stopped questioning, Naruto grew impatient. "So, what can I do?"

"You sure he said this is his house? "

"He didn't SAY it... but he looked convinced. Either that's his house, or his house is similar."

"This house?" Kakashi asked again as Naruto tapped his foot impatiently.

"What about it?"

Kakashi stared at him expectantly, but turned away when he didn't get the response he wanted.

"What does the kid look like?"

"Blond hair. Green eyes. I think the nurse said he's four."

"I'll let you know if we find anything." Kakashi glanced at the note again, waving Naruto away.

"That's it? What about a search team or an announcement or something?"

"Naruto." Kakashi's tone became serious. Naruto straightened in his seat. "There are plenty of children who go missing or get lost. There are plenty of parents who abandon their children or disappear without a trace. This one... interests me, but I have more urgent things to do."

They sat pensively in silence before Naruto stood.

"You're starting to sound more and more like old man Sandaime."

"You'll understand once you're sitting in my seat."

"Yeah yeah." Naruto turned, waving goodbye over his shoulder. Kakashi rarely caved into his pouting now a days. Maybe he was too old for it to work efficiently.

Kakashi glanced out of the window, watching as Naruto stalked away. He called a secretary into the office, requesting the legal belongings of his late teacher.

It never occurred to him that Naruto wouldn't recognize the home of his own parents.

* * *

 _Darkness covered everything. Branches and leaves scratched and pulled him as he made his way through a dark forest. He wanted nothing more than to find his way out. He wanted to go home._

 _A dark figured followed him. Stalked him. No matter how fast he ran, the figure followed close behind._

 _He tripped and fell. And kept falling, and falling, and falling deeper into a bottomless pit. The darkness crawled on him. Squeezed him. Suffocated him._

He sat up, gripping the covers tightly to his chest. Light streamed into the room through the thin curtains. The morning light chased away the dark corners of the room. It brought him little comfort. The house was quiet, but he heard shuffling coming from the hall.

"Mom?" No one answered. Shina crawling out of the blankets and got to his feet, surveying the dim light room. Although the house itself was unfamiliar, there were a few things around that he recognized. A dish sat high up on the bookshelf; a gift from his grandma to her, an 'airloom' his mother explained. He didn't know what that meant.

The orange hand-knitted pillow his father made for her sat on the couch. He remembered his dad telling him a long silly story about how he made it to help his mom sleep at night.

A portrait of his mother and his grandparents hung on the wall. She always looked so upset in the photo. She told him that his grandpa had just finished telling a dumb embarrassing joke.

Familiar objects, familiar people, familiar places… yet his parents didn't know him, neither did the ramen man or the nurse. His house was empty and so many things were simply missing. He wracked his brain, trying to figure out what happened. Is this just a bad dream? He pinched his, but as expected, it kind of hurt.

"Gotcha!" Hands wrapped around his torso, lifting him into the air. He squealed from the sudden invasion. The shuffling from the hall stopped abruptly and footsteps rushed down the hall.

"What's wrong?!" Sakura stepped into the living room anxiously scanning the room. Naruto stood frozen in the center of the room holding Shina to his chest.

Naruto mentioned the similarities she shared with Shina. To her, Naruto and Shina looked like twins, especially at a moment like this. Shina's hair was unkempt from sleep, and Naruto's messy hair remained unkempt. Their eyes were wide and mouths agape, an expression she only saw on Naruto.

Sakura balled up her first, narrowing her eyes at the elder blond.

"What are you doing in my house Naruto?!"

Naruto quickly set the child on the floor, waving his hands defensively.

"S-Sakura-chan, I was just coming to check on Shina!"

"You 'check' on him by scaring him half to death?!" Sakura grabbed Naruto by his jacket and dragged him toward the door.

His mother got angry like this, and his dad would smile just as much as he was now. Shina always wondered why he grinned during a scolding, but he already concluded that his dad kind of likes making her angry. He covered his mouth keep keep his giggles hidden.

Sakura threw Naruto out of the door, slamming it after him. She huffed in frustration.

"Sakuraaaaa," Naruto whined from beyond the door.

"Shina, let's get ready for the day, ok?" Sakura clasps her hands together and smiled, ignoring the commotion outside of the door. She thought maybe the conflict going on so early in the morning might upset him, but Shina only smiled and headed toward the bathroom himself.

They ate breakfast together before they finally left the house. As Sakura locked the door, she felt a tug on her pants. Shina pointed to the floor in front of them. Naruto was still on the floor, curled up with his knees to his chest. He put on the biggest act of childishness she's seen in awhile. Even his lower lip quivered.

"Seriously Naruto." Sakura huffed and picked up the chuckling Shina, stepping over Naruto's body..

"Sakura-chan, please?" He got up from the floor, hesitant to follow. When Sakura swiveled her head and pinned him with a glare, he deflated. She must be upset about night. Or at least about this morning. He put his hands in his pockets, sighing.

When they were far enough, Sakura placed Shina back onto his feet, but protectively held his hand. Shina turned slightly, waving eagerly.

"See ya later!"

Naruto blinked. And blinked again. He freed his hand from his pocket, waving back. Sakura shook her head disapprovingly, but even she seemed to be smiling a bit. A feeling welled up in his chest as they walked away. He felt it before in specific circumstances.

He was content with what he had. His friends were his family, that's what he truly felt. Or so he thought.

Having Shina call him 'dad', sitting at the table with him and Sakura… even watching her tuck Shina into bed. He was fine with what he had… but he wanted more. Not with just anyone. And not with…. her.

Naruto chewed the tip of his thumb anxiously. He slipped back into his old habits more and more. Habits Sakura deemed, 'inappropriate'. She avoided him for months all with the purpose of 'helping' him end their… 'relationship'. How could he express how badly he wanted to stick around and be with her? He could he avoid the guilt every time he remembered he owed Hinata so much? Why didn't he feel this way about her?

Shina was here. Sakura ignored him less. Now she spoke to him, even if they were only about the young boy they stumbled across. He enjoyed pretending things were the way they were before.

What would become of them when Shina finally returned home?

What would happen if… Shina never found his home?

Rustling in the bushes disrupted his train of thought. He only just realized how quiet the area around him became. How did he miss the heavy presence so close to him? There weren't many people who could sneak up on him now a days.

"Who's there?" He questioned.

Naruto tensed when the bushes rustled more. He waited, preparing to pounce or defend himself. When a rabbit hopped out of the bush, he relaxed for a moment. Seeing a rabbit this time of the year seemed normal… but it wasn't the rabbit that created the presence.

* * *

He had no doubt about it now. They were definitely his parents, even if they looked and acted a little strange.

His mother held his hand as tightly, she always did when they went out shopping together. Their surroundings had changed a little from what he remembered, yet everything was much the same.

They were his parents… but somehow, they had forgotten about him. Everyone had. They forgot where they lived, and they forgot what Konoha USED to look like. They even forgot that they lived in the same house!

Shina smiled to himself. As long as he remembered, then he had to help them remember too. The only problem he faced was figuring out how to do that...

"Here we are. I've wanted to shop here forever~"

Shina blinked, looking up at the shopping store. The place was familiar to him. After all, he spent hours inside with his mother shopping for clothes now and then.

"We come here alllll the time." Shina corrected.

"Oh, so your parents shop here?"

"Yeah." Shina glanced up toward his mother, determined to stir up some memories. "Remember?"

Sakura frowned. Shina seemed to genuinely mistake them for his parents before… but now she saw certainty in his eyes. She gently pulled him aside, crouching down to meet his eyes.

"Shina… I'm not trying to upset you, but we are not your parents." Sakura waited for some kind of realization to occur, but all she got was a frown. She frowned further. When had his confusion become… stubbornness? "Shin-"

"Excuse me miss, are you a customer?"

Sakura stood, glancing apologetically to the store clerk.

"Yes, sorry." She took Shina's hand again, pulling him into the store, not that he resisted. His problem was temporarily forgotten once her eyes caught the collection of children's clothes. She always wanted to come in and have a look, swooning over the miniature outfits that looked like they fit on a doll. Unfortunately, it was odd to browse a children's store as an adult with no children in the foreseeable future.

Thoughts about family filled her mind as she walked further into the store to the boy's department. She wanted a family. A husband, a child. A house to call their own, she's always had that kind of dream.

 _'Do you still think that's gonna happen?' Ino teased._

 _'Of course I do. And I'll do it before you.'_

She cringed. Why did she say such stupid things, even as an adult? She berated herself, digging into a rack of t-shirts. Having a family wasn't a race. Besides which, the one she spent most of her life chasing before was missing in action. For all she knew, he already started a family somewhere in a far off land.

She shook her head again. Why did she still force herself to care? She felt like a child who never got that one piece of candy the wanted. It bothered her, even when she told herself to get over it.

Even worse, even Naruto's relationship bothered her. She spent so much time trying to push him away and toward Hinata. She thought she'd be pleased and happy for him. Instead, just the thought of them together… she couldn't pin what emotions ran through her. Guilt? Frustration? Disappointment… longing? No matter how much she ignored them, they always came back. He always came back...

"Mom?"

Distracted, Sakura glanced down, meeting Shina's concerned gaze. Her inward thoughts must have been obvious if someone was watching her. She refocused on her mission, leaning down to ruffle his hair. He seemed to like that.

"Shina, we're here to get you some clothes. Can you... go pick out a few you like and show them to me?"

"Really?"

"Yes. I'll be right here." Sakura smiled reassuringly. For a moment, he looked overwhelmed with the task. "As long as it's not orange…"

"I've got it!" Shina ran between the clothing racks, nearly tripping in the process. Everything seemed to be going so well! He got permission to pick out his own clothes AND his mother finally seemed to remember something. Too much orange clothing was not allowed, only his mom would say something like that.

Maybe she looked so upset because she was remembering…?

Shina held his head and groaned. Despite his best efforts, nothing made sense. One day, everything is normal, but the next, everything changed. He gently prodded the scab on his hairline. It was the only evidence left he hit his head at some point. He must have forgotten something too. Something that made everything flip upside down.

Shina leaned into a cubby, eyeing a well folded green hoodie absently.

The last thing he remembered was being at home. His mother was taking a nap. She was always so tired now that her belly was so big… something his mother was missing now. Had his sister already come? Shina shook his head, trying to focus on his memory.

For once, his dad had to go to work. They couldn't go for a walk in the woods like they normally would. He hadn't gotten a new book to read in forever, and nothing was on the tv. And so… he tried to go on a walk by himself…

A bang startled Shina from his thoughts. He stood, observing the area around him. Nothing had fallen, and no one was near him. Could he have imagined it? Shina shrugged refocusing on the green hoodie. He lost his train of thought, but he was pleased to find a jacket in his favorite color.

Another pang startled him a second time. It came from the window. He turned to look… but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He approached storefront window, placing his forehead against the glass. He squinted, peering out into the early morning traffic of pedestrians walking to work and to school. At least he didn't have to go to school.

Suddenly, a pebble smacked against the glass, right between the eyes. If the glass wasn't there, it would have hit him in the face. He yelped, stumbling away from the window and accidentally dropping the hoodie.

"Shina?"

"I'm ok!" He called out, answering his mother's concerned call. He approached the window, not daring to rest his face against it again. People walked by, unaware of his presence. No one looked suspicious or mean enough to throw a rock at him. Someone threw a rock at him. But why?

Another pebble appeared, but it failed to reach the window. It skipped across the ground, attracting his attention. Another pebble appeared after it. Then another. And another. The pebbles formed a line one by one. Rocks landed between the crowd, missing the oblivious passerbyers. Shina couldn't tear his eyes away.

At last, he saw source of the rocks. The forest. A hand reached out from the bush, slowly placing one last pebble onto the ground. The hand waved, beckoning him closer. Shina hesitantly shook his head. As curious as he was, he knew better than to just follow a mysterious hand into the bushes. The hand receded into the bush, but someone else stepped out in its place.

Shina gawked. His father stood in his black and red hokage robe and his orange pants. His hair just barely covered his eyes. He finally looked normal again. It almost seemed unreal.

"Papa?"

 _"Shina-chan, what are you doing here?"_ He put his hands on his sides, pinning him with a concerned gaze. _"We've been worried sick about you'ttebayo!"_

"You remember now?" This morning, his father still lost his memories. But now...

 _"Remember what?"_ His father frowned, scratching his head. _"I don't remember forgetting anything."_

"You forgot everything!" Shina's waved his arms, showing his frustration.

 _"Then, maybe I forgot that I forgot!"_ Naruto chuckled. He crouched down onto one knee, outstretching his arms. _"But enough of that, let's go home now."_

"...What?"

 _"Come quickly, Shinachiku. We don't want to keep Sakura-chan waiting, do we? She'll be upset if your sister comes before we get back."_ He beckoned him closer with his hands. _"Let's go home."_

"We can go home?"

 _"Of course."_ His father grinned, just as he always did.

Shina smiled. As much as he enjoyed seeing his mother tease and scold his father, he wanted to go home as soon as possible. He missed his house, his toys, and his room. He missed parents acting normally. He rushed into his father's arms, but something held him back.

He tried to pry off what was keeping him in place. He grunted and twisted, but even still, he couldn't get free. Confused, he glanced up. His father was still crouched there, smiling warmly.

 _"Don't worry, Shina-chan."_

"Kai!"

Shina stopped struggling when someone yelled in his ear and a jolt of energy shot through his body. He twisted, shocked to find his mother holding him in place.

"Shina, what are you doing?" Sakura held him tightly, she had no intention of letting go. A small crowd formed around them, he failed to notice them standing there before.

He turned back to where his father was waiting for him… but he was gone.

"Shina, who were you talking to? Where were you going?" Sakura turned his head towards her. She carried a pile of clothes from store, forgetting to leave them behind when she realized Shina left the store. He walked outside to the edge of the forest before Sakura caught him.

"I was… talking to papa. We were gonna go home."

Sakura glanced toward the forest again. No one was there… or at least not anymore. Someone cast a genjutsu on him. A strong one.

"Miss!"

The flustered store owner rushed toward them. Her face was red from the effort of trying to catch up with Sakura's speed. Sakura took Shina in her arms, rushing over to meet the woman.

"I am so sorry! I had to catch up with him. I'll pay for everything right away." She bowed apologetically.

The woman huffed, but seemingly accepted Sakura's apology when she lead them back into the store.

* * *

 _ **Note 1:**_ _No, Naruto and Sakura did not lose their memories. It is the only explanation Shinachiku can come up with.  
_ _ **Note 2:**_ _Yes, someone placed a powerful genjutsu on Shinachiku from the woods._


	5. Chapter 5

_Note: Sorry for the delay. I wasn't sure where to cut this chapter and I'm not completely satisfied with it. Nothing interesting happens. Sorry about that, but not all chapters can be interesting!_

* * *

Bag in hand and child in another, Sakura maneuvered through the crowd. Lunch time approached, but lunch was the last thing on her mind.

 _'Who cast a genjutsu on him?'_

Sakura asked a multitude of questions, but Shina answered none of them. Whoever cast the jutsu knew how to lure him into the forest and take him who knows where. He insisted 'papa' came to take him home. She didn't know whether to believe him since he called Naruto his papa on and off. Not to mention he stubbornly called her his mother.

Sakura glanced behind her, eyeing the crowd surrounding them. Not for the first time that day, the feeling of someone watching and waiting plagued her. She wondered if Naruto was pulling some kind of dumb prank, but not even he would go this far.

When a hand clamped down on her shoulder, instinct kicked in. She held Shina tighter in one arm and used her free one to elbow her opponent. Or, that's what she intended to do if they hadn't caught her arm.

"Don't do that." A voice hissed. She glanced up, surprised to find Naruto standing beside her. He wasn't looking at her.

"Naruto, what are you doing?!" Sakura yanked her arm away to face him, prepared to grill him on this 'prank'. Naruto glanced down. His face held a seriousness that rarely appeared unless the situation called for it. The markings on his eyelids indicated his use of senjutsu, saved for dire situations. Any anger she had evaporated.

"What's happening?"

"Someone's following you."

Shina lifted his head from Sakura's shoulder, startled by the sudden movement. When their eyes met, Naruto provided a friendly wave, and shot him a smile. He expected one back, but Shina timidly looked away, as if he expected someone else.

"Shina? What do you want for lunch? Can you think about it for me?" Sakura readjusted him in her arms. He was too old to be carried this much, but letting him walk on his own was out of the question. He nodded in acceptance, focused on the task presented to him.

"Who's following you?" Naruto whispered.

"You tell me, how am I supposed to know?" When she turned back to Naruto, his senjutsu markings disappeared.

"I can't tell. Whoever it is… they keep slipping past my range. I can't use all my reserves."

Sakura frowned. "What are you saying? What if they're dangerous, Naruto? Why are you worried about your reserves?"

"Because, it doesn't seem like they're dangerous and it would be a waste." He rubbed his head nonchalantly. It kind of ticked her off. "Probably just one of your fans."

"Whoever that is just tried to lure a certain someone into the forest with a genjutsu. It sure seems malicious, don't you think?" She gritted through her teeth.

"What?" Judging by his reaction, she concluded he didn't pull a prank. He didn't have the ability to cast such a powerful genjutsu.

"I didn't see who it was. But they're not following me."

"… They're after him? Why?"

"Listen… Shina insisted that his 'papa' came and wanted to take him home. Convinced." She lowered her voice further. "The strength of that genjutsu took a lot of chakra to break. Shina didn't know it was fake."

"A genjutsu huh?" Naruto held his chin, pretending to think deeply on the subject. Genjutsu wasn't his forte.

"Whoever cast it had a clear idea of what Shina was looking for." Sakura sighed, explaining further. "Such a strong genjutsu was made to be convincing, not to just confuse or trick him."

"Ah, right right. So then… someone knows who he is?"

"It might be the same person who put him in this weird situation. Or…they did something mo-"

"Mom!" Shina lifted his head, pointing to a shop a few steps away. "Can we get ice cream? Or, a smoothie?"

Sakura glanced toward the small ice cream shop beside them. She hung out there with her friends often, and even went on… 'dates' there with Naruto in the past. Despite how tempting a strawberry smoothie sounded, they had no time for an ice cream break.

"Shina…"

"Sure! Let's go get ice cream!" Naruto wrapped an arm around Sakura's shoulders, rerouting her into the shop before she protested. Sakura pinned him with a hard glare, but even she couldn't deny the whims of the child in her arms.

* * *

They ordered their treats and sat at a booth together, but Naruto claimed the side with Shina before she managed to.

"Hey Shina, let me try some of your smoothie." Naruto leaned over, sticking out his tongue attempting to steal some of the cream from the top of Shina's smoothie. Shina moved his drink, holding Naruto's face away.

"No!"

"No? What? Aren't you supposed to share?" Shina seemed stricken by this, contemplating his options. Sakura rolled her eyes, trying and failing to hide her smile. The entire goofy scene was adorable.

"Ok. But, only if ma gets some first'ttebaro." As soon as the words left his mouth, he scooted the cup towards Sakura.

"Shina…" Sakura spoke softly. "You remember what we spoke about earlier right?" She waited for his reluctant answer.

"No." Shina turned away. He didn't like lying to his mother, but he had no other choice. Sweat trickled down his back from her intense stare.

"Are you sure? I remember it."

"I don't." Shina shook his head stubbornly, still refusing to meet her eyes.

"What conversation?" Naruto rested his chin on his palm, sipping his chocolate shake.

"Nothing." Sakura sighed and turned toward the window. The situation frustrated her ever so slightly. Shina confused them for his parents and now Naruto was hanging out around her again. Despite her mind and reason telling her what a bad idea it was to get so wrapped up in all of it… she enjoyed it.

Her workload was stressful and monotonous, even on her day off, she couldn't relax. Work barely crossed her mind now, her focus centered on the mysterious boy that Naruto dropped off that fateful night. She wasn't his mother, and Naruto wasn't his father… but somehow that undeniable fact seemed... partially nonfactual.

"You aren't gonna try it?"

Shina's arms were still outstretched on the table, offering his strawberry smoothie to her. Unable to deny his request, she leaned forward, taking a sip. She didn't mind since strawberry was her favorite flavor.

"Mmm, delicious. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Shina smiled, pulling the smoothie closer. "Ok, now your turn."

"My turn?" Naruto glanced at the cup of strawberry smoothie.

"Didn't you want some?" Again, Shina offered his glass, pushing it in Naruto's direction. Naruto grinned, carefully leaning down and taking the straw into his mouth. Strawberry wasn't his favorite flavor, but it tasted delicious. He paused when he heard insistent coughing from Sakura's direction. He paused mid sip. Much to his confusion, Sakura glared at him. This glare distinctly resembled the glare she used when he embarrassed her.

"Ah." He released the straw and let it slide into the cold slush. Only moments before… she had sipped from the same straw.

"Are you done?" Shina asked, eager to get his drink back.

"... One more sip." Naruto leaned in impulsively, taking the straw into his mouth as he looked directly in her eyes. She gaped. His actions would start an… interesting conversation at the very least. "Alright, all done!" Naruto smiled, giving Shina back his cup. "Thanks for sharing!"

"You're welcome." Shina sipped his drink at last. For a moment, everything seemed to be right again. Shina started to smile, but stopped when Sakura stood at the table.

"Naruto." Sakura grit through her teeth, reaching across the table and grabbing his arm. "We need to talk." Before he protested, she dragged him his seat at the table. "We'll be right back Shina, so stay here, ok?" Shina nodded, but questioned why his mother became upset so suddenly.

Sakura pulled Naruto further away, entering a small hallway that lead to the bathrooms of the small establishment. Sakura glanced, making sure Shina was enjoying his treat and not paying attention to them.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Naruto innocently scratched his ear, the wall behind Sakura became very interesting.

"Don't play stupid!" She slapped his arm, forcefully pulling his finger out of his ear. "You're cheating on your girlfriend and I want no part of it!"

"What? I am NOT cheating!"

"What you just did at the table was unacceptable!" Sakura looked into the restaurant checking on Shina again. He was enjoying his smoothie, but seemed focused out of the window. "We… YOU can't do that stuff anymore. Don't you get it? People are going to misunderstand and it'll be a mess for nothing. Only do that stuff with your girlfriend!"

"I can only drink from a straw with my girlfriend around?"

"No- you-!" Naruto watched as Sakura became more frustrated and flustered. The… indirect kiss. He wouldn't have realized it if she didn't react to it before. He didn't resist the temptation to tease her further. It might be wrong but… this was his chance to change their current predicament. No turning back. He crossed his arms defiantly.

"If something like that is cheating, then maybe I shouldn't-"

"Don't you dare." Sakura ran a hand through her hair, frustration rising. "Why do we have to keep going over this?"

"We haven't 'gone over' anything. You decided to ignore me and every time I try to talk to you or hang out... you say 'it's cheating'." He took a step forward, again, towering over her. "Why is everything we do together 'cheating'? Are you trying to say we weren't friends?"

Sakura stood her ground, frowning at him. She always ended up backed into this corner. Why couldn't he just play along and leave her alone? Did he know she actually enjoyed his company despite that front she put on? Sakura pretended he was too stupid to understand her but… she'd only be lying to herself further. She hoped he would have given up by now, but even when he had someone else… he refused to leave her be. He IS Naruto after all.

Sakura pushed past him, attempting to return to their seat. He grabbed her by her arm, pulling her back into the hallway. She turned to yell at him a little more, but he held her mouth, keeping her quiet. He pointed toward their table.

Shina sat in his seat, but whatever was happening outside stole attention away from his melting smoothie. Naruto shifted, glancing outside. At first, he saw nothing except the crowd pacing back and forth. He admitted, watching people go about their daily lives was quite mesmerizing, but there had to be something more.

"Naruto… someone is in the alleyway across the street."

"What?"

"Just look. Someone is standing there." Sakura whispered urgently. He could make out a dark shadow in an already dark alleyway.

"I can hardly see anything."

"You don't need to 'see', idiot! Use your chakra to scan them."

He focused chakra around him, slowly expanding his senses. He hoped to catch the culprit, but luck evaded him. The figure backed away from his reach again.

"Damn it!" Naruto rushed from the hall and out of the shop. They escaped.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura were paranoid for the rest of the day. They explored the town together, going from shop to shop and purchasing clothing for their young charge. Despite a stalker seemingly stalking him, Shina seemed completely unaffected by it.

"We're going to go home now." Sakura announced, holding Shina in her arms. She complained at first, but she was grateful of Naruto's stubbornness. He 'happily' carried the shopping bags.

"Did you really need this much Sakura-chan? It's a bit much ttebayo…" Naruto followed her closely holding at least 10 bags in his hands and arms.

"Kids need clothes, anything could happen."

"... You just wanted to look at cute kid clothes." He drawled. She scoffed, but the boy in her arms chuckled. Even he knew the underlying goal of the day.

The sun set, painting the sky a beautiful mixture of orange and pink. When they reached the door, Sakura took out her keys and opened the door.

"Thanks for the help Naruto. You can put the bags over there." Sakura stepped aside, pointing to the couch. Naruto happily stepped in and put the bags down.

"Sakura-chan…" He trailed off, glancing over to gauge her reaction. "There's someone out there and we can't figure out who it is. Who knows if they're dangerous. Maybe I should… stick around?"

"Naruto, you can't be serious." She rolled her eyes.

"I am'ttebaro." He sat on the couch, as if sitting down anchored his body.

"You think I can't handle it?"

"You know that's not it. It's just that...two is better than one." He expected Sakura to yell at him or kick him out… but she looked pensive. "I'll just stay out here with Shina keeping a look out. I swear'ttebayo," he pressed.

"Naruto… you can't just spend the night at my house. What are people going to think? You really think Hinata won't hear about it somehow?" Sakura tapped her foot anxiously, still holding Shina in her arms. He danced on the edge of being asleep and awake. The threat of a stalker hung over her all day. After the second encounter in the store, she refused to put the boy down on his own feet. She wanted to go after the stalker, or alert guards nearby, but Naruto held her back.

 _'I don't feel any malice.' He insisted._

So what? Someone was trying to lure Shina into the forest. It was another mystery surrounding him that was unanswered. Not alerting anyone was nothing more than a mistake, it might be a disaster. Why did she always go along with his plans anyway?

"Sakura-chan."

"... Fine." She shook her head and descended down the hall towards the bathroom. Naruto followed into the bathroom, helping to prepare the tub for Shina while she helped him get undressed. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but it was quite helpful.

"Sakura, haven't I already said it before? I don't care what people think. You say there's nothing going in, so what's the problem?" He chose his words carefully, not wanting to set her off and get kicked out again.

She frowned as she lathered up the soap, scrubbing Shina's messy hair. He waited a response, but she ignored him. He sighed and exited the bathroom, leaving her to her task. She wanted to believe he'd finally given up and left things alone, but she knew it would never be that easy. Her feelings… his feelings… it might plague her for the rest of her life.

'Plague'. The feelings weren't the problem. It was everything else. Naruto's relationship -something she pushed for-, her career, her obligation to… Sasuke. Sakura rested her forehead on the edge of the tub as Shina played with the soap inside.

She wanted to be supportive of Naruto and Sasuke. There were so many things that could make Naruto happy, he didn't need her. Right? Naruto was taken care of. It was Sasuke that still needed someone. Abandoning him would make her a bad person… right? He didn't want to be her friend. He didn't want to be her lover. What could she do?

That's where the problem lied. She didn't think about Sasuke and his issues when Naruto was around. 'What is Naruto thinking?', 'What does Naruto want?', 'Is Naruto happy?', 'Is Naruto satisfied?', 'What can I do for him?'

What would other people think if they found out she was fretting over Naruto instead of the one who was clearly more in need? Surely they'd call her selfish, despicable. Fickle? Detestable?

 _'I don't care what people say'._ How did he ignore what people thought of him? The question was rhetorical, anyone with a childhood like his would grow a thick skin.

"Mama?"

Sakura lifted her head, meeting the eyes of Shina sitting in the tub. Although he was tired, his eyes were still bright and alert. They resembled her mother's eyes. Her own eyes.

"Are you ok?"

"Ah, yes I'm fine. Are you finished?" Shina nodded, raising his arms in the air for assistance. Sakura dried and dressed him. She lead him to the living room. Luckily, they ate before they came home. Naruto waited on the couch, focused on window. During their time in the bathroom, Naruto set up Shina's bedding just like Sakura made it. Shina rushed over, collapsing onto the soft bedding. They were out since early in the morning, it must be a relief for a little kid to finally get some proper rest.

Sakura tucked him in and rubbed his back, like the nights before. He fell asleep with little resistance.

"Where are you going to sleep?" She asked. Naruto's eyes widened and he slouched. He hadn't expected her to let him stay for real.

"I'll just sleep on the couch or the floor or something."

"And… you already know where all the bedding is."

"Yeah."

Sakura stood, exiting the room towards her bedroom.

"Good night, Sakura-chan." When she looked back, Naruto smiled at her. His teeth shone through the darkness. She hesitated, but smiled back.

"Good night, Naruto. Don't do anything weird."

* * *

No one approached the house, the stalker knew to stay away during the night it seemed. Did they kept their distance because he was around? While it gave Naruto an excuse to be closer to Sakura and to stick around Shina, he wished it wasn't because someone around a corner wanted to snatch Shina away to who knows where.

Naruto and Sakura worried about the threat, but Shina seemed unfazed by the tension. Why? What did he see in the genjutsu that made him so willing to be taken?

"Papa…"

Naruto started, looking into the room. Shina crawled out of his bedding, rubbing his eyes. He didn't fall asleep as deeply as they thought.

"What's wrong?" He was not his father… but it seemed pointless to keep correcting him. Eventually, he fell back to calling him 'papa' and Sakura 'mom'. Until they found his parents or his home, it didn't seem to be harmful.

Shina blinked, his vision well adjusted to the darkness. Naruto sat on the couch by the window. The curtain was slightly open, letting moonlight spill in.

"What're you doing?" Shina crawled closer, dragging the blanket with him.

"Hey, shouldn't you sleeping?" Naruto left the couch, stopping Shina in his tracks. He leaned down, meeting the boy's twinkling eyes in the darkness. "Back to the bed you g-uh!" Naruto fell back when the boy pounced on him.

Shina's short arms didn't reach all the way around Naruto's torso, but he hugged tightly and buried his face on his chest.

"What's wrong?" Confused, Naruto gently pet his back.

"Nothing." Shina mumbled, keeping his face pressed on his chest.

"Are you sure?" The room stilled for a few moments before Shina raised his head.

"Did you really forget again?"

"Forget what?" Naruto asked carefully, but not carefully enough. The enthusiasm drained from Shina's face before he placed his face into Naruto's chest again. Naruto lifted the boy onto his feet, trying to meet his eyes again. "Shina, what is it you think I'm forgetting?"

Shina shuffled, looking at anything but Naruto.

"Is… Sakura-chan is forgetting something too?" The question sparked Shina's attention.

"Yeah!"

Naruto hummed, tapping his chin. He wished the kid would just explain himself, but then again, he was only a little kid. Shina must be as confused as they are. They would sort this out… tomorrow.

Naruto smiled, nudging Shina back to his bedding. "Listen Shina, we'll talk about this tomorrow ok?" He tucked him in exactly how Sakura did earlier. "Good night."

"... Good night." When Naruto started to move away, a small hand tugged his shirt. Shina's bright eyes shone through the darkness. He looked worried. "Are you gonna stay…?"

"... Of course." Naruto laid beside his bedding, propping up his elbow to rest on. "I'll be right here."

Satisfied, Shina released his shirt, but still kept his eyes pinned on Naruto.

"What're we gonna do tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? You haven't even slept yet." Naruto rubbed his back, just like Sakura did earlier. The tactic was very effective, Shina's eyes drooped rapidly.

"Can we go to the park?…" He mumbled, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"The park?"

"We used to go all the time... but then we don't anymore. But now we can." Shina's speech quickly devolved into rambles. Naruto listened to him ramble on as exhaustion overtook him. Naruto didn't stop rubbing his back even after he knew the Shina fell asleep.

Naruto planned to head back to Kakashi tomorrow to see if any progress was made on finding his parents. He couldn't shake the feeling that… they would never find his parents. Things weren't adding up, there's only so much that can be blamed on 'memory loss' or 'confusion'.

There's no doubt that Sakura and himself looked similar his parents. That would be enough to explain Shina's confusion. But… who looked so similar to them to convince Shina so strongly?

Naruto reached over, gently stroking Shina's unruly hair. Shina must brush it down every day. If he didn't, it'd stick up in all directions... Just like his. There weren't many people in Konoha with this hair except himself and his late father.

His eyes. He'd gone on about them enough, but the resemblance to Sakura's… . Even the shape of his eyes resembled hers. There weren't many people in Konoha with her eyes either, not unless they were related to her small family. He'd never admit how much he's compared them over the last few days. The more he looked, the more similarities made themselves obvious.

Someone that looked like him… and someone that looked like Sakura...

A place so familiar, yet different…

He experienced that before too.


	6. Chapter 6 (Part 1)

_Note: Sorry again for the delay. Here is the first half of chapter 6. I'd say There will probably be 8 chapters in total. Stay tuned!_

* * *

Banging woke her from her sleep. She sat up straight, searching the room for the source. The room was bright for this early in the morning. She glanced at the clock… but it was blank. Sakura scrambled from the bed and grabbed the clock. Someone had deliberately unplugged it. Work started hours ago. More banging came from the kitchen. Someone hissed in pain.

"Got dangit." Naruto turned, jerking in surprise when Sakura was right behind him. She grabbed him by his collar, bringing him close.

"Why did you unplug my alarm clock?!"

"Ah uh, good morning Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned, putting his hands on her shoulders and easing her back. "Don't worry, I already called in for you. You have another day off!" Silence. The air grew still and a cold wave washed over him. Ah, she was upset. Sakura grabbed his shirt, shaking him.

"You can't call my job and take off work for me!"

"Shh shh sh!" Naruto raised a finger to his mouth, peering over toward the living room. Luckily, all the noise did not disturb Shina from his sleep. Sakura released him and leaned over the counter.

"I heard you've been wearing yourself thin anyway. What's wrong with another day off?" Naruto placed a pan on the hot stove.

"You do NOT have the right to-"

"And, I wanted to figure out Shina's situation today. We can't keep going on like this, right?" Naruto interrupted her, but kept his attention on the pan and began preparing eggs. "He wanted us to have a picnic today. Together. Because 'we always used to'."

"… Naruto, are you leading him on?"

"No." Finally, he looked at her, she seemed distraught. "… It's a great chance to figure out what he's thinking, right? He seems to think we're his parents. Maybe… we can get him to tell us what he knows."

"You want to trick him?"

"No."

"That's what it sounds like to me."

"Sakura-chan… haven't you noticed?" Sakura gave him a blank stare. He continued, "How much he looks like us?" When Sakura rolled her eyes, he chuckled. "What, you don't think so?"

"Nar-"

"Sakura, when we get to the park, there's more I want to talk about too. Don't you think it's about time we stop avoiding it?"

"There's not much to talk about." Sakura crossed her arms and watched Naruto attempt to flip the eggs into a proper omelette. She wondered when he learned to cook for himself.

"Yes, there is. Aren't you supposed to talk through stuff like this?"

"You can solve your problems if you just grow up."

"It's the opposite." Naruto's expression hardened. "Is it that hard for you to tell me the truth for once?" Sakura balled her fist and rage filled her mind. She wanted to yell at him and insist that the drop the topic once and for all. He wouldn't. He wouldn't because he was right.

"Papa?" In the living room, Shina pushed himself onto his knees. Naruto wasn't there, but his blankets and pillow were.

"Good morning, Shina!" Naruto brushed past Sakura and approached Shina's bedding. The boy's eyes lit up.

"Are we gonna go to the park now?"

* * *

Sakura sighed, and not for the first time that day. The morning started off poorly, but as time went on it improved. When Shina woke, he begged to go to the park. She never saw him so eager since his mysterious appearance. She didn't resist his request despite rejecting Naruto moments before. Together, they walked hand in hand with Shina swinging between them. It felt… natural.

"Let's go there!" The boy shouted enthusiastically. Shina released their hands and rushed over to a small gathering of trees and playground equipment. He sat on a swing, completely in his element.

"Seems like he's been here before."

Sakura turned when Naruto spoke. They sat on a bench together, watching over the small boy as he swung and played on the equipment. When other children arrived, Shina joined in on the usual playground fun. He certainly wasn't shy.

"… Is it ok if we talk now?" Naruto continued. Their… 'friendship' had been rocky for months leading up to this. It was Shina who allowed Naruto to speak to Sakura on a normal basis again. But even Shina put a strain on whatever Naruto and Sakura had between them. "Please?"

Sakura sighed. Again. She wondered if it was becoming annoying.

"About what, Naruto?"

"Where Shina is from. I have a pretty good idea. Probably'ttebayo." He cleared his throat, thinking of the best way to explain. This was a subject they never told anyone else. A secret between the two of them, a secret they buried years ago. Naruto rubbed his hands. They agreed to never broach the subject again, but what other possibility could there be?

"Spit it out, Naruto." She insisted.

"Alright alright." Naruto rubbed his head and leaned back into the bench. He glanced around, ensuring they were alone. "… Shina is from here. But a different 'here'."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura eyed him him skeptically.

"You know… like… that place we went to that was an 'illusion'?" Sakura's eyes widened, then narrowed in disbelief.

"I thought you had a serious suggestion."

"It is serious." Naruto stretched out, crossing his legs and extending his arm over the bench behind her. He watched as Shina played with the other children completely in his element. A stark contrast to his own childhood. "Shina…. He could be from somewhere else. Almost the same place… with all these strange little changes that don't make sense. Like that place."

Despite her attempts to brush it off… Naruto made some sense. Even after all these years, she and Naruto didn't quite understand what that world was. Was it a genjutsu?

"Wherever Shina is from… it's a different Konoha. You and I are there. But older… maybe?" Naruto tapped his foot, daring to continue as he watched her tense. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable… but how else could he explain? "We're older. Which means Konoha is not that different after all, it's changed with time. Shina knows us because… I'm his dad. And…" He trailed off, deciding to let her put the rest of the pieces together. Or at least, he hoped she was. When she turned to him, eyes ablaze, he cringed. Did he upset her after all?

"And what?" The tinge of anger was not present in her glimmering green eyes.

"You get the idea, right?" Naruto tried, tracing his eyes over the playground as not to meet her eyes.

"Naruto, say it." She insisted.

"That somewhere else… Shina is my son. And… you are his mother. And we live together in a house like the one I took him to. It sounds stupid I know and it's not exactly like what happened to us, but it's possible right?" Naruto breathed out and closed his eyes, tense and waiting. He expected her to finally get upset. Or even to deny it or call him stupid. Anything.

When Naruto opened his eyes, Sakura looked thoughtful and pensive. She had the focused look she wore when doing her work or figuring out a plan… or determining if his reasons were bullcrap.

"Naruto."

Someone called from behind. Naruto glanced over his shoulder to find an annoyed Shikamaru. He remembered the conversation he dipped out and avoided for the past few days.

"Ah! Shikamaru! Where have you been?" Naruto stood up. "It's like you've been avoiding me the past few days." Shikamaru glared and Sakura rolled her eyes. His attempt at passing the blame was quite obvious.

"I'm not here to talk about that. Hokage-sama wishes to see you."

"Kakashi? What for?" Sakura asked, curiosity piqued. "Did Naruto do something stupid?"

"No idea, he didn't say. But that's probably it."

"Hey, I haven't done anything stupid in forever'ttebayo." Naruto complained. "Does it… have to be right now?"

They glanced toward the playground, observing the children continue to play, including Shina.

"Is that the kid everyone's gossiping about?" Shikamaru asked. "Ino hasn't shut up about it." Sakura froze.

"Ino? What has she said?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "I didn't pay attention. She's been looking for you though. Kinda weird how the both of you seem to be avoiding everyone."

"We haven't been avoiding anyone." Naruto insisted. While it was true that he avoided people, Sakura wasn't… right?

"Anyway, I came to let you know since you're ignoring the birds too." Shikamaru raised a hand as he turned around. "We'll talk later." A breeze flew past as Naruto stood there and contemplated the request. It wasn't an order that he had to see Kakashi right now, right?

"Naruto, go see Kakashi. We can talk later too." Sakura refocused her attention on the playground. Shina stopped playing with the other children to observe the roots of a tree nearby.

"I'm sure it can wait'ttebayo." Naruto insisted, wishing to sit back down but Sakura blocked the open space with her hand. If they didn't talk now, who knows when she'd be willing to sit down and listen.

"Get it out of the way… then we'll figure things out later." He started to protest, but Sakura turned to him. Her expression was… open. Relaxed. Calm. There was even a small smile on her lips. She meant it, he realized. Naruto hid his surprise with a smile and started walking backwards, holding her gaze.

"Later then."

* * *

pt. 2 coming soon


	7. Chapter 6 (Part 2)

The disgruntled staff made their annoyance heard when Naruto breezed past them and their inquiries. Kakashi requested him, he wasn't barging in. Naruto rolled his eyes and knocked on Kakashi's door. Besides, soon this would be HIS tower and they would work for him.

"Come in," Kakashi called from the other side. Naruto entered the room and shut the door.

"Find anything, sensei?" Naruto leaned over the desk in anticipation. Kakashi sighed and picked a folder from his messy desk.

"Why are you interested in this house again?"

"I told you already'ttebayo."

"Tell me again." Kakashi's tone shifted from lazy to serious, a rare occurrence for the lazy man. Kakashi motioned to the seat across the desk that Naruto initially ignored. "And have a seat." Naruto obeyed Kakashi's request. Even he could sense the change in tone. Naruto cleared his throat, trying to summarize everything that happened so far in his mind.

"Well… there was this little boy with amnesia they found outside the village. I tried to take him home and we went searching for his house, but all we found was this one. He seemed so sure it was his house… but he looked confused. So I don't know." Naruto shrugged. Kakashi contemplated this.

"His name?"

"Shina. Don't know his last name. Not sure if he does either." Naruto tapped on the desk impatiently. "Soooo, what's with the house?"

Kakashi studied him, trying to determine if he were hiding something or lying. But Naruto couldn't lie to save his life and nothing screamed 'lie' to him. Kakashi placed the folder back on his desk, sliding it forward.

"Look over the information in the folder."

Curious, Naruto took the folder and reviewed the contents. Inside was an older picture of the house. The paint looked fresh and well maintained. The tree in the backyard, though smaller, was most certainly the same one. Naruto shuffled the pages, glancing over the second document. The house had been vacant for… 20 years or so, but the deed was being held. It wasn't unusual for families to have more than one house, but it was a nice neighborhood. Naruto figured whoever owned it would have sold it by now if they weren't going to live in it. Wasn't it against the law to let your house get so messed up? The neighbors must be pissed. He snickered.

Naruto shuffled the pages. The next one sent a confused shock through him. This page described the home's previous owners and its current ones. It had a few families live in it over the last few decades, but the most recent owners caught his eyes.

"This house… belongs to my parents?"

"Not anymore." Kakashi stated plainly. "The deed is to be passed to their son when he comes of age. Meaning, the house belongs to you." Naruto blinked in disbelief. "It should have been passed to you when you reached the age of 18, but it seems we overlooked it." He explained.

"It's mine?" Naruto whispered, shock still evident in his voice. Kakashi sighed and shook his head.

"No one has lived in this house since the day you were born. Most of your parents belongings are still in the house or in storage. It's impossible for Shina to have lived there or for that to be his house."

"He looked pretty sure about it for the most part…" Naruto recalled the day they went to the home. Shina seemed familiar with the house… but confused by its appearance and emptiness. "Is there any houses like this somewhere in town?"

"Lucky for you, I've already looked into it." Kakashi pulled a drawer and extracted more folders. Naruto was surprised by his thoroughness, he seemed so uninterested before. "The blueprint of this house shares a floor plan with two others in Konoha." Kakashi slid them over. "But their exteriors do not resemble this one."

Naruto kept the original folder on his lap and looked over the other houses. The insides were similar, but there's no way Shina could have mistaken them for… his parent's house?

"Where is the boy now?" Naruto glanced up from the folder. The air in the room changed without him noticing. Naruto left Shina with Sakura, that was no secret. Yet… he hesitated to say so.

"Why?" Naruto asked defensively.

Kakashi fixed his gaze a bit longer before he stood and strolled toward the large window. From the tower, Konoha stretch on far into the distance. It sat a bit higher than the rest of the buildings in Konoha, creating a nice view. Not as nice of a view compared to the higher mountain behind the tower. .

"I took it upon myself to ask for some information from the hospital. There are no records of him or that name. We sent out preliminary requests to other villages. A missing child is important and it only makes sense to return them as soon as possible." Kakashi turned. His eyes closed as if he were smiling under the mask.

"So far, no one has reported a missing kid matching his description. For a child to appear out of nowhere and become so acquainted with you of all people…"

"He ran into me on accident. He even ran away from me and tried to hide. No way that was staged." Naruto scoffed.

"Can you be certain of that?"

"I… " When Naruto and Shina first met, Shina ran away as soon as he laid eyes on him. But why? Would he have run away from someone else? He chased him all around town, but as soon as Naruto caught him again… Shina gave up right away. Like all the fight had drained out of him. Naruto thought his head injury or confusion tired him out.

Had it been staged? Was Shina meant to run into him and put on an entire act to get close to him? Not to mention the mysterious figure Sakura discovered trying to lure Shina into dark places… Logic told him it was plausible… but his chest tightened with denial. Shina's genuine fear, confusion, and odd relief was real.

"I'm positive. There's no way it was staged'ttebayo. He's a little kid, Kakashi."

Kakashi returned to his seat. "I'd like to see him for myself." Naruto's blood ran cold. He tightened his grip on the folders.

"...You're gonna try to interrogate a little kid? He's only like, five years old!"

"Naruto." Kakashi leaned forward in his chair. "We struck a balance of peace only recently. You are what is holding it together. People against the alliance between the five villages would do anything to stop it. And to do that… all they need is to target you.

" _Eventually_... I would like to see to him myself." Kakashi conceded. "Within the next few days, we must conclude exactly what he is doing here and why. We can never be too careful. When you become Hokage… you will understand."

* * *

Like hell he would understand.

Naruto walked the streets of Konoha at a leisurely pace. Konoha, his home and birthplace. Konoha, the place he wanted to protect, and the place where all of his loved ones lived. Or, most of them at least.

' _When you become Hokage… you will understand.'_

Understand what? What would interrogating a little kid do? Then again… why was he so up in arms about it? He'd ask Shina a few questions and send him on his way, right?. Kakashi… seemed so suspicious. Would he detain him? Would he call in a Yamanaka to search through the brain of a little five year old? Did he think Shina could be a mind-controlled assassin in disguise?

' _Granny wouldn't do that…'_ He thought to himself. He cringed immediately after. He didn't have the right to say that. He helped get Tsunade removed from her position so that Kakashi could take it.

' _She's always drunk.'_

' _She's so lazy, hardly ever gets anything done.'_

' _Someone else should be Hokage.'_

Well, if he had known Kakashi would be so cold like this, maybe he wouldn't have contributed to her removal. It's not like Kakashi did very much either, it was all Shikamaru. Kakashi definitely wouldn't be harsh on a five year old either. Surely he wouldn't.

Naruto huffed and turned down an unfamiliar street. Well, he'd been here once before recently. The street was quiet and peaceful, a middle income neighborhood no doubt. He continued walking, glancing at the neighboring homes. They weren't exactly mansions, but they weren't tiny either. Perfect size for a family of four or five.

He stopped in front of the house that Shina mistook as his. Naruto held the photograph of the house; the difference was night and day. No one maintained the property except keeping the grass low. Was that his responsibility now? It was… his house. What a strange thought. He hadn't mowed a lawn since his genin days and it wasn't even his lawn. He ascended the stairs carefully as they creaked under his weight. If he moved in here, he needed to replace the stairs too. How much that cost? The sudden responsibility of having his own house weighed heavily on his mind, among other things.

Face pressed against the window, he peered inside. Sparse furniture and objects were still covered with sheets. All that stuff belonged to his parents. They used to live here. Sleep here. Eat here. HE would have lived here had it not been for … the disaster called his birthday.

' _But no one else has lived here.'_ He repeated. The dust on the inside of the window proved not a soul has stepped inside for years. Shina denied this being his house. _Mostly._ The confusion on the small boy's face betrayed his words. He recognized the place, yet he didn't. He knew how to get here, but not exactly. He knew who his parents were, but Sakura and himself were not.

' _You get the idea, right?'_ he asked Sakura earlier. ' _That somewhere else… Shina is my son. And… you are his mother. And we live together in a house like the one I took him to.'_

Alright, so what if Shina were from somewhere like that alternate world or dream or whatever. Did that mean the two of them got pulled into another genjutsu without noticing? Last time too many things changed, making it obvious they were somewhere else. No, this was the real world. But then… wouldn't that mean Shina came from that place? Could he be some kind of… illusion?

He couldn't wrap his mind around it. Naruto ran his fingers through his short hair, making it messier than it already was.

This was something he had to rely on Sakura to figure out. She didn't get the chance to respond before Shikamaru showed up and interrupted their chat. What would she sa-

"Naruto-kun?"

Creaking stairs startled him. His head swiveled, afraid that some neighbor caught him peeking into the house. With his luck, they'd think him a thief and chase him off. It was…just Hinata.

"What… what are you doing here, Hinata?" He didn't tell anyone where he was going. He hadn't spoken to her in a few days, but he wasn't surprised at her sudden appearance. Somehow… she managed to show up in places he never expected.

"I was… looking for you." She answered timidly, rubbing her hands together nervously.

"Oh, I see."

They stood in silence before Hinata finally mustered up the will to speak.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, completing her journey up the stairs to stand beside him.

"Checking out this house I guess. It belonged to my parents… I just got the deed for it'ttebayo." Once again, silence hung around them like a damp dirty cloth. While he hadn't been avoiding her, he wanted to focus on more important things. He didn't have the energy to waste keeping a conversation going with her when things became awkward like this.

Based on his meeting with Kakashi, Naruto had a few days to figure out the mystery of Shina before the interrogators did. He had important things to discuss with Sakura. He opened his mouth, intending to bid her adieu. She probably returned home with Shina by now.

"It's perfect."

He blinked. "What? What's perfect?"

"T-this house… it's perfect for… when we start a family." She stuttered, almost breathless from speaking up.

* * *

Shina reluctantly left the park with Sakura. It took a lot of effort to convince him, but she managed. Shina's attachment was cute. It became a little frustrating when Shina became too fixated on his ramen eating guardian.

"He'll be back in time for your supper." She promised. She hated breaking promises, so she hoped Naruto would be waiting for them when they arrived to her home.

"Ok." Shina answered. He didn't sound as sad as he did moments before. Maybe he wasn't as attached to Naruto as she thought.

They slowly walked the streets of Konoha hand in hand as the sun set. If she carried him, they would get home much faster, but she enjoyed their current situation. The town was painted orange and red as the sun dipped lower and lower into the horizon. The street lights started to flicker to life, and people returned home after a long day of work or play. Shina babbled on as kids do, pointing rudely at someone or something and fixing his mistake before she could correct him. Whoever his parents were definitely ingrained politeness in him. Question is… WHO are his parents? He didn't appear to be an orphan...

"Can we come back tomorrow?" Shina asked, tugging Sakura's hand to bring her attention to him.

"Naruto can bring you tomorrow. I have work after all." She answered apologetically.

"Oh. I forgot'ttbaro." His head nodded.

"Forgot what? Sakura asked, eye twitching from the verbal tic.

"I forgot that you have ta work tomorrow." He answered. How would he know her work schedule? Maybe she told him earlier and he forgot. It made the most sense, she reasoned, and laid the issue to rest.

Wasting little time, Sakura helped Shina clean up and get dressed for bed. Together, they made soup and rice. Sakura saved Naruto a plate at Shina's request. When it got too late, she put Shina to bed against his will. Sakura finally encountered the grumpy side of the well behaved boy. Despite the attitude, he fell asleep moments after his head hit the pillow. A sleep child is a sleepy child. An hour later, she finally heard a knock at her door.

Sakura trotted over, creaking open the door. She would deny it if asked, but she was eager for Naruto's return. It's too bad Shina was already asleep. Sure enough, Naruto stood at her door pensively.

"What took you so long?" She asked, stepping aside to let him through. "And don't speak too loudly, he's sleeping... Something wrong?" Naruto took a seat at her kitchen table. His pout resembled the pout she encountered earlier on Shina's face. Naruto needed to be tucked in too; she snickered under her breath.

"Kakashi wants to interrogate Shina."

She gasped, cutting her snickering short. She didn't know what she was expecting Kakashi to say, but it wasn't that.

"... You mean… ask him some questions right? That's not interrogation."

"He thinks it's possible Shina met me on purpose. That it's possible Shina is involved with the anti-alliance people who want to get rid of me. And so, he wants to see Shina himself and ask some questions…"

"He thinks that?" Taken aback, Sakura sat across from him, wide eyed in disbelief. Yes… she could understand Kakashi's logic. A mysterious child shows up and makes pals with the strongest ninja in their village. A ninja who also happens to be one of the things keeping the newborn alliance together. She glanced toward the living room where Shina slept. If someone sent him here to cause harm, he already missed plenty of opportunities to make a move. And the mysterious figure beyond the woods…

"Did you tell Kakashi about the person following Shina around?"

A moment of silence passed before Naruto rubbed his head apologetically. "No, sorry. I was a bit pissed off'ttebayo." Sakura sighed, but had more questions.

"What else did Kakashi say?"

Naruto paused for a while before reaching into his jacket and pulling out a folder, placing it on the table. "The house that went to with Shina? It's… my parents house. The deed had been left behind for me."

"Your… parents?" Sakura's surprise was evident as she picked up the folder. She hadn't seen the home for herself. The house needed a new coat of paint, but it seemed well built despite the lack of maintenance. Her parents house stood closer to the center of town and looked more like a townhome. This one was in the suburbs. She did not recognize the address, but she knew the general area. "I'm sorry, Naruto…" The reason for the vacant house did not bring up good feelings for Naruto she assumed.

Why would Shina think this was his house? Another part of his confusion? Thinking back to her studies, she wasn't sure if a mild concussion could cause this amount of confusion. To think this is his house, and that they were his parents...

"Sakura-chan." Naruto brought her out of her thoughts. When she looked back to him, he looked tired and still irritated. Had the meeting with Kakashi gone that badly? Usually he'd blow something like that off.

"About earlier… what do you think? You didn't finish'ttebayo." He prodded , wanting to hear her thoughts. Sakura blinked, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. She shook her head.

"We should talk about it tomorrow when we've had some rest. It's getting late, and I don't want to wake Shina up." Naruto looked like he aged ten years from disappointment.

"I can't tomorrow." He stated dejectedly. "I'd much rather talk about it right now."

"Why? You have nothing better to do. Tomorrow, we'll go over it and you can spend time with Shina. He was waiting for you you know."

"I said I can't Sakura-chan." He repeated, more irritably this time.

"And why not? What's gotten into you?" Sakura frowned, becoming irritated with his sudden attitude.

"I… agreed to hang out with Hinata tomorrow."

Sakura's eyes bulged. "What?!" She exclaimed before she caught herself. She covered her mouth, hoping it didn't wake Shina. Her mind was racing. "How can you make plans with her in the middle of all this?"

"Weren't you scolding me the other day for NOT hanging out with Hinata?" He answered, pinning her with a frustrated gaze. "I do what you want and then you get mad at me anyway. What is the deal Sakura?"

"You insist on being here and figuring out Shina's mystery, and then in the middle of that you decide to schedule a date? I never even said that." What was she even saying. Why did she feel so sour? It's true. She pushed Naruto to go spend time with Hinata … but now all she could think about was Naruto ditching her and Shina to go on some date. It shouldn't matter to her. It shouldn't at all… so why did it bother her so much?

"She found ME." Naruto corrected. "I went to go check out my house and then she was there. And I felt bad about avoiding her so I offered to go somewhere or something." Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "So, I want to talk to you before I have to go do that."

She didn't want to talk to him right now. Her mind was elsewhere, fighting a bitter battle she thought she put to rest. Being in his presence made the battle that much harder.

' _Why do I care? I love someone else!'_ she screamed. Only within her mind of course. She believed telling yourself something over and over again can make it true. She did love someone else, therefore, Naruto and Hinata's relationship didn't bother her. She wasn't offended that Naruto scheduled a date in the midst of them caring for Shina together. She wasn't incensed at the thought of Naruto hanging around town with Hinata while Shina patiently waited for him to come home. No, not 'come home', this was HER home.

"Not tonight. Since you'll be busy with your date and Hinata, I'll have to take Shina to work with me. I'm going to bed." Sakura stood.

"Sakura-chan, wait." Naruto reached, grabbing her wrist before she managed to walk away from the table. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"... Sorry for what?"

"I can tell that you're mad at me, but you won't tell me why." Naruto stood too, still holding her wrist. "You're giving me mixed signals here and I don't get it'ttebayo."

"I'm not sending you any signals." She insisted, pulling her arm. If she wanted to, she could rip her wrist free and throw Naruto across the room, but she didn't. Naruto tried to meet her eyes, but she kept them focused on the far wall instead. He sighed finally and released her.

"Fine fine. But you don't have to take Shina to work tomorrow." That got her attention.

"What?"

"I can bring him along with me. It would make things so much more lively-"

"No." Sakura interrupted. "Are you insane? You're not taking Shina on your date."

"Why not? If you take him to work, he's going to be cooped up bored in your office. And it's not a 'date'."

Sakura's fists clenched. "You're not taking him on your stupid date Naruto. Drop it!"

"And I asked why can't I?"

Was that a question that needed to be answered? A date is supposed to be romantic. Hand holding. Eating at restaurants. Sitting in the park and enjoying scenery together. You don't go on a 'date' with a child tagging along. And this wasn't any child either. It was Shina.

"What are you going to tell him huh?" Sakura crossed her arms, "Shina thinks I'm his mother. Last time you even mentioned Hinata as something more than a friend… you'll confuse him more!"

"But Sakura, you're NOT his mother! We need to stop this because we're confusing him anyway!"

Sakura leaned over, bracing herself on the table. She wasn't Shina's mother, she knew. But hearing Naruto say it aloud... it felt like a punch to the gut. She heard him continuing to talk and to make his argument, but none of it reached her ears.

"Get out, Naruto." He stopped talking and looked at her, realizing what he said.

"Sa-"

"Get out!" She couldn't count how many times she kicked him out of her house, but it was becoming a common occurrence. "Out!" She yelled over him when he tried to speak up. Sakura came around the table, forcing Naruto out of the kitchen and into the entryway.

"Sakura I-"

Finally, she pushed him out of the door and locked it behind him. Locking didn't matter since he could pick the lock or come through a window, but it made her feel better. She hadn't noticed, but her breathing had become ragged. She took deep breaths and released a few times. This reaction wasn't normal, she was fully aware.

' _You're NOT his mother.'_ Insulting. It felt so insulting. But why? She wasn't Shina's mother, like Naruto wasn't his dad. Earlier she theorized the identity of Shina's parents, but hearing someone say she wasn't his mother felt insulting.

Sakura approached the room where Shina slept. He laid there, snoozing away. All the noise didn't manage to stir him. They didn't have custody over him. Heck, they had no idea where he came from in the first place or how he even got there. Yet… she allowed him in her home. She went shopping for him. Fed him… she enjoyed the small boy's company. Now being accused of not being his mother hurt her.

Had this been planned? How did she become so attached so quickly? He arrived only days ago… and now she didn't want to imagine him being gone. If this was a trap, she didn't know any techniques or jutsu capable of this except genjutsu. She was not under such a spell. Sakura wracked her brain for an explanation. Maybe it was instinct to become attached to a lost child who resembled you.

Sakura already showered, so she made her way to her bedroom. She sunk into the bed, pulling some of her covers over her body. The argument with Naruto drained any energy she had left.

… She should let Shina go with Naruto tomorrow. Naruto said it wasn't a date, and Shina would love to spend time with him. Would Shina mistake Hinata for his mother too? Sakura didn't think so.

' _I'm here because… well, he described what his mom looked like and… it kind of fit your description. He might be confused, but I figure I'd try anyway.'_

That's what Naruto said when he brought Shina to her home for the first time. What 'description' was that? Did she look similar enough to Shina's mother for Naruto to bring him here? Or was it just Naruto fooling around? She remembered tapping on the little boy's shoulder and he turned to meet her eyes. She saw those eyes every day in the mirror. There was no mistaking the color. Afterall, she liked the color of own eyes.

Did someone else in Konoha unrelated to her have them? Or someone in a different village? Did they marry to someone who happened to look a lot like Naruto too? She wasn't well versed in early childhood development, but unless a parent had a twin or someone looked identical to them, a child wouldn't confuse them for people who look only a little similar. Not even a concussion changed that. Whoever Shina's parents were… they must look exactly like them. Somehow. The strange coincidence were piling up too high.

' _That somewhere else… Shina is my son. And… you are his mother. And we live together in a house like the one I took him to.'_

Somewhere… like the dream they were trapped in? Where Naruto's parents lived, but hers didn't? Where for the first time, she understood Naruto's loneliness? Despite how much she fooled around and ignored his desire to leave, he came and saved her in the end. Then they returned home. Where Naruto willingly gave up happiness with his family for her... That kind of place? Did that mean… they were in a dream again? Or was Shina in the dream and they were illusions? That's… crazy, isn't it?

She wanted to speak to Naruto about this. He was the only one who knew about the genjutsu world… if it was a genjutsu. Why did she kick him out? Why did she have to overreact? So stupid… so petty. She hated being like this, overreacting to Naruto over petty things. But it hurt to hear him say that… and it must have hurt him to kick him out like she did.

Sakura bolted up when she heard rustling in the hall. If Naruto had come inside again…

"Mom?" A tiny voice whispered. Her door creaked and a wild head of blond hair edged inside.

"Shina? Did we wake you up?" Sakura climbed out of bed to have a better look. Shina dragged his blanket all the way down the hall and looked disheveled from sleep. A bit of his hair stuck to his forehead from sweating in his sleep. Seeing him like that was pretty cute.

"No…" That sounded like a lie.

"It's pretty late. Do you want me to stay with you until you go back to sleep?" Shina shook his head. "What's wrong?" She asked, stroking his arm. Shina met her eyes. He looked… sad? Worried? She hoped he hadn't heard the arguing.

"Can I… sleep with you?" He whispered.

"Of course…" She answered. She brought Shina into her arms and carried him to the bed, shifting him around until he was comfortable. "How's that?" She asked, smiling kindly.

Shina said nothing, He hugged her chest, burying his face in her breasts. Normally, she'd be embarrassed or suspicious of someone resting their head in such a place, but he was a little kid and none of Naruto's perverseness had rubbed off on him in only a couple of days.

"Are you sad?" The boy mumbled.

"... A little." Sakura admitted, smoothing Shina's hair on his head. Shina sat up, meeting her eyes in the dark room.

"Did.. he make you sad?" Shina asked.

' _He must of heard some of it,'_ Sakura thought, ' _but not what it was about.'_

"It's not his fault." She assured. "Don't worry about it, ok?"

"Why?" Shina whispered, ignoring her request. Sakura sighed, trying to think up some kind of excuse that would satisfy his curiosity or concern. He didn't know what was going on, so a lie would suffice… but she didn't want to lie. She couldn't tell him everything either.

"Sometimes… you make decisions in the past that you think will make other people happy and that you'll be happy for them… but it doesn't always work out that way." Shina's head tilted in confusion. Sakura propped up on her elbow. "But no matter how much you may regret it or how much it hurts… you have to live with. It's only right. I… made a mistake once. And sometimes it makes me sad. That's all."

"Then… you should fix it!" He whispered optimistically. Sakura chuckled and shook her head.

"Not everything can be fixed, Shina. Sometimes… you have to live with it."

"No," Shina persisted. "You can fix anything, you have ta try really really hard''ttebaro."

Had she invited a mini-Naruto into her bed? Shina didn't exactly behave like she remembered a younger Naruto… but the speech he gave could've come straight from Naruto's mouth. That isn't too strong. Shina had been with them for a few days, Naruto must have said that to him at some point.

"You think so?"

"No. I just know it."

How can she fix it? It was SHE that push Naruto and Hinata together. She convinced Naruto to date her. Convinced him to give up on her. Rejected him. Insisted that she still held feelings for Sasuke. Kicked him out of her home. So… many things…

Shina's little face glowed in the night. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness well enough to see him wide awake with a pensive look. Was he waiting for her to agree with him? Once again, so… Naruto like. Who was this child? Where did he come from?

"Mom…? Did you fall asleep?" Shina poked her face. Shina hadn't spent enough time in darkness on nightly missions for his eyes to adjust as quickly as hers. She poked his cheek like he did to her.

"Shina, what do you want to do tomorrow? Do you… want to go with Naruto, or come to work with me?" Naruto was right, she wasn't his mother. He should decide where he wants to go. Or at least, who he wants to be with on a given day. If he went with Naruto and Hinata… so be it. At least, for that day.

When he came to work with her, whether it was tomorrow or the day after or the day after that… she would run a test. A test to end the guessing game once and for all.

Shina blinked, but seemed to come up with his answer quickly..

"I wanna go with you."

* * *

Why did he say that? He hadn't meant to insult her… he didn't know what he meant. He should have went home and cooled down. His encounter with Hinata added onto his frustration from his meeting with Kakashi.

' _Start a family'_ she said. The thought filled him with dread. That made him feel bad. Guilty? He tried to imagine having a family with her. Living in the same house from day to day. Children…. It was hard. With the way things were going now… that was a life he didn't want to live.

He did what Sakura told him to. He asked her out on a date. He thought for sure Sakura would praise him and be happy that he listened to her… but she seemed upset. What the heck did she want? He KNOWS that… or at least, he thought that there was something between him and Sakura.

He had so many things he wanted to say to her. So many things he wanted to tell Sakura. No amount of time with Hinata erased his desire to be with Sakura. Why wouldn't she talk to him? Why did she keep pushing him away and pulling him back? It was his fault for being so stubborn. She wasn't pulling him at all and he…

Naruto sighed. He was still outside of Sakura's house. He decided to lay on the grass and gaze at the stars peeking through dark clouds. He didn't know what she wanted. Yeah, something was there… but that didn't mean she WANTED it. She spent months ignoring him. Shina's sudden appearance is the only reason she started communicating with him. There were still bumps on the road, but Sakura started treating him like she used to. Until he messed it up by mentioning Hinata.

What did she want? What would make Sakura happy with him? Did she hate him so much that she didn't even want to be friends anymore? She knew he never wanted to be 'just friends' and until that changed… she'd never speak to him properly again. He needed to make things right, before she got too angry with him.

Naruto got up from the soft grass and made his way to the door. If he knocked, Sakura would ignore him and he'd risk waking up Shina. Naruto made his way to the living room window and looked inside. The light of the moon was enough to light up the room inside. Strangely enough… Shina was not in the makeshift bed Sakura set up for him. He he go to the bathroom? Get up to get a drink of water?

Naruto circles the house, looking for where the boy might have gone. But he started wondering if his actions were creepy. When he decided to call it off and go home, he finally found him. Shina was sleeping in Sakura's arms with her. His heart swelled.

He couldn't see Shina's face, but the small boy looked comfortable and content cuddled up against Sakura in his sleep. Naruto imagined it to be nice being held by her; Naruto had been held by her a few times himself. Sakura looked comfortable, but also… upset. She must have fallen asleep thinking about their argument.

' _Family'_. The word appeared in his thoughts as he took in the scene before him. This is the family he wanted. He wanted to be with Sakura, but she didn't want him. Starting a family with her… the thought excited him. If they had a child together, they could look like Shina who she cuddled in her sleep. He wanted to slip into bed beside them. He wanted to go out on the town and have fun with them. He wanted to be there, with them. Why didn't he feel this way with Hinata? What was he doing wrong?

Naruto sunk to the ground below the window. He felt lost, uncertain, frustrated. He wished his love life wasn't so complicated. What a drag… as Shikamaru would put it.

Naruto couldn't wake Sakura and upset her all over again, so he decided to go home, wait it out, and meet her at work the next day. He'd bring her a gift. Or some lunch. Anything to quell any anger she might have left.

A strange rustling distracted him. Naruto peered into the forest some feet away from Sakura's home. Despite the full moon lighting up the night, the area closest to the forest was still covered in shadow. Naruto stood still, staring at the woods and the darkness. Someone was there. Watching him. Watching the house.

"Who's there?" Naruto called out. The figure stood there silently and didn't seem to have any intention of answering his question. "What do you want?" Naruto continue. Still, no answer. Fine, he'd get his own answers.

Naruto began activating his sage mode. It would only take seconds to wash over the person with his chakra and determine who it was. As he started to concentrate, the figure fled, managing to escape his scan like the day before. Naruto grunted and gave chase, prepared to fight if he needed to. He only needed to stick close enough to get a read on him!

Naruto chased the figure, but lost him in the darkness of the forest. Naruto expected a trap or an attack from an unexpected place… but none ever came. Or … he was never the target? Naruto rushed back toward Sakura's home, afraid the figure lured him away to get into Sakura's house.

When he returned, Naruto peeked into the window… but nothing had changed. Sakura and Shina slept without disturbance. Still cautious, Naruto circled the house checking for entry or if someone was hiding nearby. The area was clean.

"What was that all about?" He asked the night sky.


	8. Chapter 7

_Note: Sorry for any massive mistakes that might be present. Looking for a beta reader to go through and fix the various errors in the whole series! This is the second to last chapter. Look forward to the conclusion where everything finally gets resolved and comes to a close._

* * *

As planned, her alarm clock woke her in the morning. Normally, she wouldn't need it, but watching over a child everyday proved to be more tiring than she thought. Sakura extinguished the loud beep after the first ring. When she sat up and stretched, the dreadful feeling of 'I slept but not really' washed over her. The worst.

A sleepy mumble drew her attention to the bed. The alarm clock only annoyed the small sleeping boy by her side. Shina mumbled and buried himself further into the pillow he must have wrestled from under her while they slept. She decided to let him sleep a little longer while she picked out an outfit for him and made a quick meal. She felt like a little girl again, as if she were picking out the next outfit her doll would wear. Shina wasn't a toy of course, but the feeling was the same.

"Knock it off!"

Sakura paused and swiveled around. Did Naruto REALLY come back after she kicked him out? Abandoning the clothes, Sakura exited her bedroom, checking for herself. She didn't find Naruto at all, and he wasn't exactly great at hiding since he still insisted on that orange jacket.

"Just start over, you've ruined everything''ttebayo!"

Or at least, not inside.

Sakura swung open her front door, surprising the Naruto clones sitting outside. There were at least 5 of them sitting around playing a card game. Sakura narrowed her eyes, trying to pick out the real Naruto, but he didn't seem to be among them. She grabbed the closest one by the ear, dragging him closer.

"What are you doing outside of my house like this Naruto?" She demanded. The clone squired in her grasp, but it was for show. She rarely actually pulled or smacked him hard enough to cause real harm. But he sure loved playing along. She kinda loved it too…

She shook her head. Her mask of indifference towards Naruto slipped more than she previously thought. At this rate… she'd be a mess when Naruto took his relationship with Hinata further. Naruto, the clone, interrupted her thoughts and gently removed her hand from his ear. She expected him to play along a little longer and whine as he usually did… but he looked so serious.

"Last night…. Someone was out here last night Sakura-chan."

"He stood right over there." Another clone pointed out to the edge of the forest not very far from her house.

"I don't think they knew I was here. They ran off pretty quickly after realizing it." A clone continued. "They were so quick, I failed to catch them again."

"Sorry." The clone told her as it still held her hand. "I stayed all night and I left as soon as your alarm went off. I left some clones here just in case. I didn't want to make you upset." Sakura frowned. "I mean…. I didn't want to make you MORE upset and I'm sorry." The clone repeated.

Someone waiting… outside of her house? Sakura scanned the edge of the forest. How long had they been there, waiting for them to sleep. What did they want?

"Are you sure? Is it… is it the same one from before?"

The clone frowned, contemplating an answer. "Probably."

"Then they know where I live…"

"Sakura…" The clone gently squeezed her hand, bringing attention to it. Surprised, Sakura yanked her hand away from the warmth that built up from the contact. She glanced around again, making sure no one witnessed the hand holding.

"I understand Naruto. You can leave now. You and your clones."

One clone glanced at the others, resigned to their fate. Still, the one nearest to her turn back. "Sakura-chan. About last night-"

"You should really go." She insisted. "I won't discuss this with a clone Naruto"

"Then, maybe later?" The clone asked hopefully. Sakura turn away, refusing to answer. She did not look at his face, but his body slumped in disappointment and a sigh escaped his lips. "Have a good day then, Sakura-chan…"

The other clones disappeared like a chain reaction filling her entryway temporarily with their smoke. When the final one lifted his hands to dismiss the jutsu, Sakura stopped him. She slapped her hands on top of his, causing him to jump.

"Naruto I…" She didn't want him to go on the date. Sakura expected them to spend another day with Shina trying to figure him out with a little bickering here and there. If she asked, he would drop date with Hinata without a moment's pause. He would stay if she simply asked. He went on dates with Hinata because she told him to, and he would stop the dates if she told him to.

Why did he listen to her? She knew why. She acted angry and upset when he didn't and he wanted nothing but to please her. She constantly lead him in a game of cat and mouse, never confirming or denying her feelings and leaving him confused. She didn't do it on purpose… she was confused too. Everyone expected her to still love Sasuke, even Naruto did to some extent. Was she a terrible person for giving up on Sasuke?

"Naruto… have a good date." She finished. He deserved someone better. Hinata seemed like a willing option. Hinata seemed more put together and certain of her feelings toward Naruto. It would be unfair to keep him… wouldn't it? Naruto couldn't live happily with someone like Sakura, someone who didn't even understand herself. Wouldn't she be a terrible person if she took Naruto away from someone who loved him… as much as she did? Someone who wasn't at all confused about it?

"... Right," He responded. The clone did not disappear right away. He stared straight through her, reading her like an open book. He almost always knew what she was thinking and feeling even before she did. She hated that... No, she loved it. Another problem, another confusing conflicting feeling she held inside.

"Goodbye." She said, squeezing the clone's hands hard enough to make it disappear in a puff.

* * *

Today was the day he would fix everything.

Ever since he woke up in the hospital, nothing made sense. The town looked different. His house wasn't how he left it. Most importantly of all, his parents forgot him. Or at least, he thinks that's what happened. Sometimes they acted normally, but other times they were complete strangers. He only told them his nickname. They've yet to call him his full name, 'Shinachiku'. All except what happened a few days ago.

His father wore his black and red cloak along with the orange pants his mother disliked. 'It's not professional', she used to say. Whatever 'professional' means. His father had his bangs again, they hung just above his eyes and were swept to one side.

That was the only time Naruto called him 'Shinachiku'. At first he thought his mom and dad were imposters. Fakes pretending to be his real mom and dad like his parents always warned him about. The fakes would try to get information out of him. Or, they would try to hurt him and make him suffer…

None of that happened. Not so far.

The… 'imposters' did ask questions, but they gave up quickly and always treated him kindly. They behaved like his real parents. While they couldn't remember him, they weren't exactly "imposters". He gave up trying not to call them mom and dad, they were too real. They WERE his parents.

He just needed to... 'fix' them. Help them remember somehow. If he did that, then everything would go back to normal!

… But how?

"Shina?"

"Huh?"

Shina glanced toward his mother. They were holding hands walking through the town early in the morning. Not many people were around this time of day. He'd rather be sleeping… but he liked going to work with his mom. Soon, she said he wouldn't be able to do that anymore because he had to go to school. His mom hasn't said anything about school lately...

"Have you been listening?" Sakura asked. Shina shook his head. She sighed. "Sitting in the office might be a little boring, but you can ask for anything and I'll find something for you to do, ok?"

"I won't be bored!" Shina grinned. "I'll be good, I promise." He spent plenty of time in his mother's office and he knew he had to behave. The hospital had plenty of books for him to read and pages for him to color on. They even had a playground in the back. He could play in with other kids if he got really bored. When he behaved, he also got a treat at the end of the day or even an extra dessert at dinner. A win-win situation. He did whatever she asked for a special prize. Most of the time anyway.

Sakura gave him a strange look, but didn't say anything else until they reached the hospital. Her office… was not the same. This smaller office was on the fourth floor, but he remembered it being higher. The only thing the two rooms shared was the large window that had a nice view over some of the shorter buildings in Konoha.

"Here you go." Sakura dragged over a small desk into the office toward the window. She called in ahead of time and asked the staff to borrow one from the children's room. She opened it, pleased to find paper and crayons already inside.

"Is this really your office?"

Sakura observed the boy's reaction. The puzzled look he carried sometimes returned.

"Yes. Do you like it?" She smiled, beckoning him closer. When he got close enough, Sakura pulled out the small seat for him. He didn't answer her question. He fixated his gaze on the window instead.

"First, why don't we make a name tag for your new desk?". The suggestion reignited his curiosity. Shina turned as Sakura reached into his desk to pull out a blank sheet of paper.

"A name tag?"

"Yes. Like the one I have on my desk, see?" Sakura pointed out the shiny fake golden nameplate that sat on her desk. She had one outside of her office too. "When people come inside, there's no way they can forget my name since it's on my desk."

"... They can't forget?" Shina's eyes lit up. "If I write my name, then they can't forget?"

"Yes…" Sakura raised a curious eyebrow. Shina eagerly reached into the desk, pulling out a hand full of crayons. Without much though, he pulled out the red and green crayons. Everything looked better in red and green.

What if he told her… his real name? His full name? Would she remember everything for good? He really want to try it, but something still held him back. This could be a trap too, all a trick to get his real name.

No, he already decided earlier that they WERE his parents. They just forgot is all. And if his name could help, he had to write it down.

"Ok, I'll write my name." Shina took the green crayon and careful started to write his name. His mother taught him how. She was so proud and told him and told him he would be super ready to start school.

He started with a "U" and continued with the "zu"-"ma-"ki". Next, he wrote his first name, it was just as long as his last name. "Shi"-"na"-"chi"-ku". Shina was his nickname. His mother told him at school, he needed to write his full name on his papers. But why? Most everyone called him 'Shina', even his parents. Well, almost everyone. People he didn't know very well called him his full name. Now that he thought about it, his uncle called him by his full name too…

"All done." Shina proudly held up the name tag. Sakura hadn't said a word since he started on it. She stared at the nametag for a long while. Did she remember something? He sure hoped so. Shina waited and waited until she finally spoke up.

"Uzumaki Shinachiku… that's your name?"

"Yeah'ttebaro! Do you remember?"

'Remember what?' She wanted to ask, but she didn't have the heart to. She wondered why writing his name would bring him so much excitement, and this is why. He thought she was forgetting something. All her talk about not forgetting someone's name because of a name tag made him think SHE would remember something.

Shina still believed she and Naruto were his parents and that they had simply forgotten about him. A pang shot through her chest. What convinced this little boy that she was his mother and Naruto was his father? He waited patiently for her answer, genuinely waiting for her to 'remember' him. The problem was that there was nothing to remember… and yet she so desperately wanted to recall something. Maybe she forgot that she had four or five year old son with the man she secretly loved? Somehow he too had forgotten that they had a little blond hair green eyed child together? She wouldn't name her child 'Shinachiku', surely…

Impossible. Yet here she was, toying with the idea in her mind.

"... You still don't remember?" Shina lowered the name tag. Disappointment clear on his small chubby face.

"I don't remember… yet." She said without much thought. She bit her lip, trying to come up with an explanation.

"Yet?"

"Listen Shina…" Sakura struggled for words. This was the most the little boy had ever opened up to them. If they gathered enough information, Kakashi wouldn't need to interrogate him harshly or at all. "I think we may just need a little more time, ok? There more things you can do to help us." It wasn't exactly a lie. She wouldn't be able to remember anything, but understanding the situation would help them. Additionally… she disliked seeing him so disappointed.

"There is?" Shina's eyes lit up again. Sakura stood and approached her desk. She had a quick solution to their problem. A test. A few tests in fact. Sakura returned to Shina's side, needle in hand.

"Shina, is it alright if I perform a few tests? Like… a shot? I think it can help us."

Shina looked wearily at the needle Sakura prepared. He'd gotten shots before, but he didn't expect to get one now. If it helped her remember, he had to do it. Right? Shina nodded agreeably.

* * *

He should have cancelled the date. His mind simply wasn't in the right place. Hinata mumbled something about the menu. The waiter had to ask him a few times what he wanted to drink. He didn't eat his food, he pushed it around the plate absently. He wanted to eat, but he didn't feel like it.

"... Naruto-kun."

Sakura wanted to say something to him right before she dismissed all his clones. He saw it in her face. In her eyes. Her hesitance. Her everything. If he had stayed, maybe the talk could've happened? That just meant he needed to try harder. Or maybe he was trying too hard? No no, he shouldn't push her. It was her decision. He knows she feels something, but what right did he have to make her admit it? Even if she did admit it, what then? Naruto pushed more food on his plate, conflicted.

"Naruto-kun?"

As soon as the date was over, he'd rush back to her house and finally work things out. They had too. They could spend the day together just like she wanted. He wanted to stay the night again and be there when Shina woke up, but of course she was angry with him. He didn't dare to ask. It was fun helping the sleepy kid get dressed and ready for the day. Did Shina miss him yesterday? He thought Sakura mentioned such, but he couldn't remember.

"..."

Naruto jumped when a hand gently squeezed his arm. He blinked and focused on Hinata. She looked concerned.

"Ah, were you saying something Hinata?"

"... No." She answered, quickly looking back at her empty plate.

"Whoa! You must have been hungry." Naruto looked at his own dish. He stirred so much that the food blended together in an unappealing mess. "I've barely gotten started'ttebayo..."

"Naruto-kun… are you feeling alright?" Hinata timidly tied her fingers, refusing to look at him.

"I'm fine. Why?" Hinata shrunk into herself further and didn't answer. "Hinata, what's wrong?"

Uncomfortable silence passed. Naruto tried not to squirm in his chair and repeated his question. It took patience to figure out what was going on in her head. Well, he never actually knew what was going on in her head, he had to wait for her to tell him. Patience wasn't his forte.

At last, Hinata took a deep breath and turned to him. She looked timid moments earlier, but now she looked firm, prepared for whatever it was that she decided.

"You've been very busy with Sakura-san, haven't you?"

Naruto hesitated. Yes, for the past few days, he spent all of his time with Sakura and Shina. For good reason.

"I heard… you've b-been staying over her house a lot and looking over a child… i-is it true?"

Normally one would say, 'It's not what you think!'

If she assumed Naruto was trying to settle his feelings with Sakura and possibly reignite whatever they had prior to when they were dating, she would be correct. He didn't plan to cheat on Hinata. Never. He also couldn't end the relationship with her. Everyone told him he owed her. She loved him for so long and he never noticed. He felt terribly guilty about it. Everyone was right, how hadn't he noticed her before? Like with every problem, he tried to fix it.

No matter how hard he tried, no feelings developed beyond the guilt. He liked hanging out with her like anyone else, but more often than not their dates ended on an awkward and boring note.

He tried to kiss her, but he either didn't know how or he was simply doing something wrong. It as uncomfortable. When he hugged her, it wasn't entirely different from hugging anyone else. She was his friend after all. He never craved contact with her. He is her friend, not her lover. He tried. He really tried to feel something more, but nothing came.

He resigned to his fate. Sakura ignored him. Soon he would be with Hokage. Everyone expected him to be with Hinata. His future was set. He wasn't happy, but Hinata was. All he had left to do was become Hokage and make Hinata happy... even if he didn't love her.

Then Shina ran into him.

The world flipped on its head. Not immediately, no. It was a slow transition. First he found Shina, tired and confused. He never met Shina and yet… something clicked. He could have passed Shina off for someone else, but he wanted to handle it.

Then Sakura came into the picture. When Shina described his mother, it didn't really make sense. No one else looked like Sakura, or at least, not to his knowledge. Whether it was her or not, he was fine with using Shina as an excuse to see her face. For months and months she ignored him and avoided him. He had no reason to show up to her house, she'd call him a creep and kick him into the next dimension.

Sakura changed too. Sakura knew him for even less time than him, but she took an interest in Shina too. Sakura was a medical ninja, she would take interest in any injured patient, especially a child.

But when she saw his face for the first time… something shifted in her too. She invited the boy to stay in her home without any hesitation. Even more surprising, Shina quickly fell into her arms and wrapped his arms around her, as if he did it all the time.

Shina called him papa. He thought about it all night. About being a father, or Shina being his son. They did resemble each other.

After that, Sakura didn't ignore him. All of their conversations revolved around Shina, but he was ok with that. Sakura may not have noticed, but she smiled just like she used to. Not only at Shina, but at him. She complained, nagged, and bickered, just like she used to. Of course he didn't want to argue with her all the time, but anything was better than her indifference.

It had only been a few days, yet he felt closer to Sakura than he ever had before. All thanks to a little boy. Sakura wasn't the only one smiling. Shina made Naruto smile too. Naruto was his 'papa', and Sakura his 'mom'. It felt so natural. He craved it, unable to resist the thought of Shina belonging to them.

Last night, Sakura looked so pleased to see him and so upset that Shina hadn't. Why did he have to screw it up? He shouldn't have mentioned Hinata at all. Last night was his chance. Last night… Sakura was exactly how she used to be. He missed his chance.

Another chance to confirm her feelings. Another chance to act like a family for a little while. Another chance to figure out the mystery of Shina. A mystery if unsolved… could mean Shina could truly be theirs.

"Naruto-kun…" Naruto blinked. He cursed, realizing he let his mind wander off again.

"I'm sorry Hinata. What was the question again?" She watched him. Hinata frowned. She looked… sad.

"... I'm sorry." Naruto apologized again. He didn't know what do when she became like this. Give her a gift? A kiss? A hug? Apologize?

"Naruto-kun… you apologize a lot."

"Ah… do I?" Naruto rubbed his head and offered a smile. It didn't work, her expression didn't change. Hinata squeezed her hands tightly together so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Hinata?"

"Naruto-kun… you don't have to do this a-anymore." She whispered shakily. She looked up. Tears started to well in her eyes.

"What?" Naruto's eyes widened, confused.

"I-I can tell… you aren't the same. Not when you're with me." Hinata took a breath and continued. She held her face, embarrassed to be crying in public. Luckily, they were seated outside away from the other customers, but it brought her no comfort. Naruto fretted over her, unsure of what to do. She wanted him to hold her, and tell her it was ok, but he didn't.

"Usually, N-Naruto-kun is so cheerful and happy. You s-smile and laugh or do silly things. But when you're with m-me…" Hinata stopped and lowered her hands to look at him. Naruto's jaw hung open. She supposed he never expected her to say such things. Hadn't he noticed her unhappiness? She happy when he was happy… but he wasn't. Not with her. She knew why. She always knew why. She thought if she were given a chance, she could change his mind. She thought he finally loved her back. Maybe she was just fooling herself, hoping after so many years… he wouldn't love Sakura anymore.

She truly thought so. Naruto started to pay more attention to her. Slowly but surely, Sakura spent less and less time with him, so Naruto had no one but her. Hinata revelled in his attention. It made her nervous and awkward, but being near him was enough. For a while, she thought he felt the same. That being in her presence would make him happy.

Instead, he always looked so serious and pensive. Tense. Stiff. Fidgety... His mind always went somewhere else. He paid attention to her more, but his mind still wandered somewhere else. Where? Where did his mind go when it wasn't with her? She already knew the answer, but for so long, she pretended she didn't.

She pretended he wasn't thinking about Sakura.

She pretended he wasn't thinking about Sakura when he smiled so warmly at nothing.

She pretended he didn't whisper Sakura's name when he took his naps.

She pretended he wasn't thinking about Sakura when he squeezed his eyes painfully closed as he kissed her.

She pretended he wasn't thinking about Sakura when a longing looked passed over his face despite being right next to her.

She knew, even now, he was thinking about Sakura. The woman he loved. Hinata tried, she truly did, but she was not the one who would bring out the Naruto-kun she admired so much. The Naruto-kun she loved… was the Naruto-kun in love with someone else.

Hinata sobbed, but she smiled. She forced a smile to spread on her lips just like Naruto did when they were together.

"Naruto-kun… you don't have the p-pretend anymore…. Thank you for trying. Thank you."

* * *

Sakura felt terrible. She felt like she tricked the little boy for just a blood sample. Even if she explained what she actually wanted to do, he wouldn't have understood, right?

Sakura wanted to match Shina's DNA to their database. All the allied villages combined their medical databases and information save for trade secrets some clans refused to release publicly. If she ran this test through, it would spit out any and all possible relatives in all the allied villages.

'Uzumaki Shinachiku'. With a name like that, there were very little other possibilities. The last name indicated Shinachiku must be related to Naruto. Or maybe Karin, one of Sasuke's old traveling companions. Or some other Uzumaki out there? Unfortunately, those were the only two Uzumaki's she knew. Out of the two options… it simply had to be Naruto. They looked so much alike. Shina even had a verbal tic similar to his. The blond hair. The attitude that sometimes bubbled from under his polite demeanor. The smile… Somehow, someway, Shina and Naruto shared a connection.

She'd be kidding herself if she didn't see a little of herself in him too. Green eyes weren't really that rare of a commodity, but their eyes and their face looked strikingly similar. Still...

Theories cycled through her mind over and over. She struggled to lower her expectations. Certainly the results would crush any connection they may have to Shinachiku. Yet… she wanted the results to tell her the impossible. She wanted the results to reveal that Shinachiku did have a connection to them. That… Shinachiku was theirs.

Sakura frowned. How did she become so invested in this again? In only a matter of days… she wanted Shina to somehow be her child. She wanted to protect him and hold him close. Just yesterday afternoon she made plans to spend more time with Shina and Naruto. More walks in the park. A proper trip to the ice cream shop. Sakura could buy Shina more clothes and force Naruto to abandon his neon orange outfits. She could get him a proper bed and some toys to play with. Naps. Playtime… Being with the two of them felt… right, as if Shina had been missing from their lives and he properly slipped into place as he should be.

These feelings couldn't be normal. Last night she pondered if it could be some kind of jutsu she never heard of. The books and scrolls in her office would have answers, but if not, she'd track down Tsunade and ask her. A trip to the library might be beneficial too. More time spent with Shina meant more answers, she reminded herself. That was the ultimate goal.

Sakura finished preparing the test and allowed the machine to search the database. Because it was so large, it would take a while. If she wanted to, she could directly test her DNA against his, but the thought of it made her nervous.

She made her way back to her office to check on Shina and to check her books for her newest theory. She had to do something to keep her mind distracted as the machines did their work.

"So, this is a family picture?" A voice trailed out of her office, one that certainly wasn't Shinachiku. And it wasn't Naruto's either.

"Yeah. It's so they can remember." Shina's voice rung out. He sounded excited or pleased.

"Oh, what did they forget?" The voice asked. Now that she was closer, Sakura recognized the voice easily. Sakura stopped in the doorway, suddenly afraid of what she might see.

Ino managed to slither her way into her office. Ino and Shina were leaned up against each other comfortably as Shina concentrated on sketching out his doodles.

"What are you doing here?" She tensed when she noticed Ino petting his head. She didn't feel jealously, but suspiciousness. After all, her best friend was one of the best intelligence gatherers around. Not because her interrogation skills were particularly advanced… but she could read minds. Reading the mind of a child required little effort, especially if the child was distracted with something else.

Ino peered up from Shina's doodles with a casual smile.

"Ah, there you are forehead. I've been looking for you. Have you been avoiding me?"

"Hey!" Shina exclaimed, turning to Ino. "Don't call her 'forehead'. That's mean, auntie." A frown had spread on Shina's face and he looked more serious than ever. Both women were taken aback by his change in attitude. Ino chuckled and apologetically ruffled the boy's hair.

"I'm sorry Shinachiku, I didn't mean it." The attitude Shina gained faded away just as quickly as it appeared. "Wow, you've got quite a temper under those chubby cheeks." Sakura cleared her throat.

"Ino, can I talk to you? … Outside?" Sakura motioned toward the door.

"Fine fine." Ino stood, leaving Shina to continue his work. Sakura closed the door to the office quietly as not to disturb the other offices.

"What are you doing here? What were you doing to him?" Ino didn't answer immediately, pinning Sakura with an observant gaze. She sighed and waved off Sakura's concerns.

"Don't look so worried Sakura. I'm not here for 'that'. Haven't been told to do anything yet."

"... So it's true, Kakashi wants to interrogate him?" Ino paused again before answering.

"There's been talk about it. Mostly people curious about the little one you and Naruto took under your wing. You guys have cut yourself off from society ever since."

Sakura rolled her eyes and began leading Ino down the hall. That was a bit exaggerated. They did keep to themselves as they tried to figure out the mystery of "Shinachiku".

"So 'Uzumaki Shinachiku' is his name? Where'd he come up with that?" Sakura narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Come on, I said I wasn't here to interrogate didn't I? Obviously you have a mystery on your hands and I want to solve the child sized enigma too."

"... He told me today that that was his name. Before he only told us his name was 'Shina'. I don't think he made it up."

"Shina? Mmm… maybe a nickname."

"That could be…"

"... Sakura, relax already." Ino placed her hands on her hips. She tried not to look hurt by Sakura's distrust. "I am genuinely here to help. I've been worried about you. You're acting… weird."

Sakura relaxed her shoulders. "Right, sorry." If Ino were here to cause a ruckus, Sakura didn't think she'd try so hard to be genuine. "...I'll explain." Sakura offered.

"Sakura."

Sakura and Ino stopped. Naruto stood at the end of the hall, breathing heavily. He ran all the way to the hospital when the date with Hinata ended. The date wasn't the only thing that ended. Their relationship did too.

Naruto was still high on emotion. He felt terrible about it. Hinata balled her eyes out, struggling to explain herself, but all he could do is sit and gape at her. She refused to be comforted and eventually decided to leave. Coupled with his terrible feelings… were feeling of relief. Like a weight fell from his shoulders.

"Naruto… what are you doing here?" Surely his date hadn't ended so fast. He didn't say anything as he caught his breath and came closer. "What's wrong with you? Did something happen?" She hadn't forgotten last night, but seeing him in this state worried her.

"Sakura… we need to talk."

* * *

"All finished." Shina announced to no one. He held up the picture, admiring his work.

His dad stood the tallest in his picture. Shina used a lot of red on his cloak and orange on his pants. His face had a big crooked smile and two blue dotted eyes. He drew his hair as spiky as he could, just like his real hair.

Next was his mother. He gave her a round belly and a red dress. Although her belly was missing now, maybe… if she remembered she had a belly it would come back? He used pink on her hair, green for her eyes, and purple for her diamond mark. Shina remembered she called it a seal of some kind.

He drew himself and his favorite Katsuyu plushie. He missed sleeping and playing with it. Shina started to draw their house, but he gave up and drew grass with a sun instead.

"What else…" Shina thought aloud. If drawing is all he needed to do to make them remember, he would have drawn much sooner.

Tap. Tap tap. Tapping? Shina looked around the office, but nothing moved even as the tapping continued. A louder tap banged against the window, startling Shina from his seat. Shina held his chest as his heart raced.

"What was that…" He approached the window, pressing his face against the glass. His mother always told him not to do that because he left grease stains on the windows, but right now he didn't care. From the window, he had a good view of Konoha and the street below. He thought someone threw something at the window.

He tried to pick out people on the busy street. No one noticed him from below. Who threw something at the window? They must be strong to reach up this far. Shina continued scanning the street until finally, he saw someone looking up at him. Shina squinted, trying to decipher their face.

Suddenly, his vision blurred. Shina backed away and rubbed his eyes. What was that all of the sudden? He blinked, but his eyes were back to normal. When he looked out of the window again, the person was gone. Who was that? He didn't get the chance to figure it out, but they looked… familiar.

A sudden knock at the door startled him again. Shina turned toward the door. Another knock came. If it were his mother, she didn't need to knock. But there were a lot of people around, maybe a nurse? Shina approached the door, standing on his toes to twist the knob. He expected to see a nurse at the door, wanting to speak to his mother.

 _"Here you are Shinachiku. I've been looking for you."_ His father smiled down at him. He had his red and black cloak again. His hair grew long again with his bangs brushed to one side. _"Come, let's go home. You're probably bored, right?"_

"Papa…? What are you doing here…"

 _"Didn't you hear? I'm here to take you home."_ Naruto offered his hand, and Shina took it.

"Does mom know?" Shina asked. Sakura hadn't told him that Naruto would come and pick him up.

 _"Mom is at home waiting for us. You know she can't move very much because of her big belly."_

"But…" Shina stopped, causing Naruto stop too. "Her belly is gone. And… your hair was shorter. Why? Do you… remember again?" His father said nothing, but the smile slipped from his face. Naruto knelt, looking Shina right in the eye.

 _"Shinachiku… right now you are dreaming. The 'papa' and 'mom' in this dream aren't real."_

Shina's eyes widened. "A… dream?" Naruto nodded.

 _"It's all a trick. You've been dreaming for so long, I've come to wake you up."_

"... It's really true?" Shina asked in disbelief. "They're really…" Naruto's expression darkened again.

 _"'Naruto' and 'Sakura' in this dream are not your parents. They are not real. Haven't you noticed?"_ Shina started to speak, but Naruto interrupted him. _"The Naruto in this dream has a different girlfriend than your mother. They don't live together in your house. Sometimes, they aren't very friendly towards one another. Doesn't it hurt to see mom and papa apart?"_

It did hurt. He noticed strange about his parents, but he thought they only forgot. A dream? This couldn't just be a dream. He decided that a long time ago. What was his 'papa' talking about? Shina held his chest and stepped back. Naruto stood, looking down at him. His father's face didn't look quite right. He'd never seen him wear such an expression.

 _"Shinachiku, we have to go home now."_

Shina turned away and went into Sakura's office, shutting the door behind him. Or at least, he thought he did. When he turned his back to the door, he was back in the hallway with his dad standing there, looking down at him. Everyone in the hallway disappeared despite how busy it was moments before.

 _"Shinachiku, we have to go home now. None of this is real."_ Naruto repeated, almost robotically. _"Come with me."_ Naruto offered his hand, but Shina refused it.

"S-stop it!" Shina shouted. Shina turned, needing an escape.

 _"Come."_ Naruto demanded urgently. Everywhere he turned, it seemed like his 'papa' was standing there, hand extended. Shina picked a path and bravely rushed past him. He ran and ran and ran, but the hallway never ended. When he glanced back, his father was only inched away from him, as if Shina hadn't been running full speed at all.

"STOP IT!" Shina shouted, squeezing his eyes shut. In that instant, he heard gasps and confused whispers. Everyone that was in the hallway before reappeared. They stared at him, concerned about his sudden outburst. Shina looked around, but his father was nowhere to be seen.

"Are you alright?" A nurse asked. She approached him, but Shina backed away and rushed to the exit.

* * *

"Sakura-chan please."

Naruto, Sakura, and Ino were cramped up in the room Sakura left the test to run in earlier. Naruto explained everything that happened on his 'date'. She didn't know what to say. She was angry at him for letting Hinata go and cry on her own. What man does that to a woman? A woman he's supposed to love?

"You guys have really wrapped yourself in some classic soap opera drama." Ino sighed and tapped her foot.

"I'm busy Naruto. Go away." Sakura stared at the screen as it rapidly scanned through the database. It already scanned through Suna, Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa with no returns. All that was left was Konoha. No one reported a missing child here. None of the orphanages were missing a child. Nothing lined up. Nothing except Naruto's explanation.

"... Is Shina here with you?" Naruto asked. Sakura scowled, declining to answer such an obvious question. "... You're still upset with me?" That earned him a glare.

"Do you even know what position you're putting me in, Naruto?" Naruto and Hinata broke up. She felt horribly for Hinata… but a small tiny thought in the back of her mind persisted.

 _'Now you can be together again.'_ How sickening. She would never do such a thing. They broke up, but Hinata definitely still loved him. She didn't think she was a horrible person, but she would be if she became so opportunistic. Even if she wanted to be with Naruto, it simply couldn't be allowed to happen. Not now, not ever.

"You need to find Hinata right now and apologize to her! Beg if you have to!" Naruto remained silent and just watched her. He made no attempt to do as she said.

 _'That's good. He's stubborn. Just like you. You know he doesn't want her.'_ The tiny voice in her mind spoke. Naruto never took interest in Hinata. Not until Hinata's feelings were made clear to him. Sakura wondered how can someone be so blind, but the answer was pretty clear. Naruto had tunnel vision. He found other girls attractive or pretty, but there was only one person he truly considered.

 _'That's right. He's always loved you. You can't use Hinata as an excuse to avoid him anymore._ ' Maybe not… but she wasn't going to give up. Naruto's true happiness was on the line.

"You really think I should?" Naruto asked blandly. "I didn't break up with Hinata, she broke up with me." Naruto stepped closer. "And I think I know why. Sakura-chan, you know it too. How terrible I am at lying…"

Sakura gripped the computer monitor. The search had a few thousand samples left to compare. It would be finished in a few minutes.

"No, you're just being an idiot." Sakura gritted through her teeth and turned on him. "Naruto, I don't-" Sakura stopped before the words slipped out. Just like Naruto, she was terrible at lying too.

 _'I don't love you!'_ He would sniff out the lie in seconds. She needed to find a different way to try and redirect his attention again.

"I… am in love with Sasuke. And Hinata loves you. Don't you understand? We can't be together." She couldn't even look him in the eye. Maybe the lie was still too obvious?

Ino rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. The two idiots were obviously in love, but Sakura was being stubborn about it and dancing around the issue. Why? Ino wouldn't step in, she swore off match-making after the Naruto and Hinata disaster. And what a disaster it was. Hinata's intentions were pure and her feelings just, but she couldn't keep up with Naruto no matter how hard she tried. Naruto, on the other hand, still had feelings for someone else and constantly had his head in the clouds. On the surface, they were quite a cute couple, but the problems underneath were apparent.

Ino tried to speak to Sakura about it. Sakura was Naruto's best friend and she was in love with the dude even if she pretended otherwise. Sakura refused to see it. She became convinced Naruto would be happier with Hinata than herself. How would Naruto tackle this challenge and change her opinion?

A beep on the monitor disrupted her thoughts. Sakura looked at the monitor, shocked by the results.

"What? What do they say?" Ino and Naruto huddled around her, tense atmosphere forgotten.

A list of data displayed on the screen. At the top was a strand she titled "SHINA". Underneath was a list of matching DNA from most matching to least matching as well as the most likely relationship they had.

HARUNO SAKURA - Probability of Maternity: 99.9998%

UZUMAKI NARUTO - Probability of Paternity: 99.9998%

UZU-

Sakura stopped reading it then. She knew what the rest of the list would be. Naruto's parents. Then her parents. Then any other relatives she may have. The impossible happened. Shinachiku… was their son.

"What's… this?" Naruto asked, staring dumbly at the screen. He had a gist of what he was reading, but it didn't make any sense. "What does it mean?" Naruto continued, glancing at Sakura as she sunk into a chair nearby.

"... Shinachiku has a high probability of being our biological child."

"Shina… chiku?" Naruto repeated, shocked to hear Sakura mention it.

"His name. He told me his name was Uzumaki Shinachiku. So… I ran a test." Sakura's voice was empty, unsure how to digest the information. Earlier she was hoped Shina would somehow end up being theirs, but it was an impossible little wish to giggle about. A silly thought at most, not an actual possibility!

Without a word, Naruto left the room, nearly running down the hall.

"Where are you going?!" Sakura called, following him out of the testing room. Ino stayed behind, analyzing the data for herself. She wasn't as deeply trained as Sakura on this matter, but she knew enough to make sure there weren't any mistakes.

Naruto made his way to Sakura's office. He hadn't seen Shina yet, but that's no other place he could be. He opened the door expecting to see the little blond boy inside… but it was empty.

Sakura caught up to him, and grabbed his arm to steady herself.

"Shina?" Sakura entered the small office. She checked under her desk which was the only possible place to hide. "Shina?"

Naruto approached the smaller desk and picked up the picture resting on it. A family drawing. One of him, Sakura, and Shina. Shinachiku.

* * *

Shina knelt in an alleyway, hugging his knees as sobs wracked his body. He hated crying, he really did. It gave him a headache. His nose ran and his eyes stung.

His father followed him out of the hospital. He followed him everywhere. Shina didn't understand. No matter where he went or where he turned, his father was right there. Waiting for him. His dad was good at hide and seek, but not like this. He was more like a ghost chasing him around.

 _"Shinachiku… don't you want to go home?"_ Shina raised his head. His father's face changed again. He looked more like himself again, albeit worried.

"I-I do wanna go home…"

 _"Then, why do you run away?"_

"You're… scary." Shina confessed. His dad was always weird, but not THIS weird. Naruto smiled softly.

 _"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."_ He explained. _"I really want to go home with you now, to your mother."_ Shina ached to give in and agree to go with him… but he resisted. He had to make sure what he was saying was true.

"This is really… a dream?" Shina asked. Naruto shifted and sat cross legged in front of Shina.

 _"Yes, it is."_ He stated calmly. More calmly than earlier. _"You accidentally fell here, and I've come to take you out. No one knows you because this is not where you belong. The people you call mom and 'papa' may technically be the same, but the dreams have made them into very strange people, haven't they?"_

It made a lot of sense. No one knew him here, not even his mom and dad. They didn't look like they were supposed to, and the town was so familiar but clearly different. He never had a dream like this one, but boy did it explain a lot. Shina nodded.

 _"I'm not trying to scare you."_ Naruto opened his arms warmly. _"Come on. Let's go home, Shinachiku. You'll be safe and everything will be normal again. No more bad or strange dreams."_

This time, Shina didn't resist. Shina jumped forward, wrapping his arms around his father's neck. Naruto returned the favor and tightly wrapped Shina in a hug as he got up.

 _"Everything will be ok."_ Naruto whispered, walking away from the alley towards the forest nearby.

An intense feeling washed over Shina. It made him dizzy and tired. His vision became so hazy that he couldn't see where they were going. His arms and legs felt weak as his head sank into the crevice of Naruto's neck. He closed his eyes, unable to fight against the heavy weight of his eyelids.

Just then, he had the smallest realization that his father didn't smell like this father at all.


End file.
